


Admission I thru IX (4/6)

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-09-30
Updated: 1999-09-30
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 55,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Krycek gets caught in Mulder's apartment. Fight. (Sort of) Talk. (Kinda) Denial. (of course) Admission (hence the title) Sex. (naturally) Self Loathing. (you didn't expect the hearts and flowers right away, did you?)





	Admission I thru IX (4/6)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

 

Admission by Aries

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex shifted onto his side and wound his arm around.....nothing.

He opened his eyes and sat up. 

Fox wasn't in bed.

He felt the sheets.

Cold.

//Where the heck is he?//

He slipped out of bed, threw on a pair of shorts and went out in search of his absent lover. It didn't take long at all to find him.

The light from the laundry room flooded the hall and led Alex right to him. The younger man snuck into the doorway and covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

There, stretched out on the floor with Clyde pouncing on his chest, covering his faces with kisses, was Fox. He giggled softly as he played with the pup.

"You know, I *really* gotta get to bed. *You* can sleep all day if you want, but..." 

A presence in the doorway caught his attention and he tilted his head up. An upside down Alex smirked down at him.

"Not. One. Word."

Alex threw his hands up. "Hey, I wasn't going to say *anything*." He entered the room and crouched down on the floor beside Fox. Clyde automatically went for his hands. "So?"

Fox sighed. "I guess we could put his crate in the bedroom."

"I guess," Alex agreed nonchalantly.

Fox rolled to his feet and picked the puppy up. "You're killin' me." He started for the door and called over his shoulder, "Well, what're you waiting for? *Some* of us have to work in the morning..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fox pulled into the driveway, wondering what new and wonderful thing Clyde did *today*. It had been two weeks since the puppy had come to live with them and one thing had become crystal clear. Puppies were more trouble than kids. Not that he knew much about kids...

In the last fourteen days, Clyde had chewed the hell out of three of his shoes, urinated on one of them, tried to shorten two of the legs on the kitchen table, and decided that the twenty-five page report that he'd been working on for over a week, just wasn't going to cut it, and ripped it to shreds. Of course, it was all *his* fault for leaving it where Clyde could get at it...Alex's words.

And despite all the trouble, the little weasel managed to secure a permanent place in his heart.

"Besides," Alex reassured, "it's just a stage. He'll get over it, soon."

"You know, Alex, I really hope so," Fox sighed one day after examining the mangled remains of the areca palm that Scully had given them as a housewarming gift. "If he keeps on at this rate, we'll be homeless inside of a month..."

Fox drew a deep breath and entered the house.

Quiet.

*Really* quiet...

Assuming that Alex had taken Clyde out for a walk, he headed for the bathroom, shedding his jacket and tie along the way.

Minutes later, he was enjoying a nice warm shower, when the door jerked open.

"*Jesus*, Alex! You scared the..."

"Get dressed!"

"Kinda hard to do when I'm wet..."

Alex grabbed his arm and pulled. "Come on!"

"What the hell's your problem?"

"Clyde's missing."

"*What*? What do you mean, *missing*?"

"I left him in the yard, just for a few minutes to answer to phone. When I came back, he was gone. I've been looking for him for two hours!"

Fox felt his heart begin to pound double-time. "Shit. Okay..." He practically fell over himself, trying to step out of the tub. Alex fled the room, leaving him to hastily dry and dress himself. Brief moments later, he was following Alex out to the street.

"Okay," Alex took a deep, shuddering breath. "I looked down in that direction..." he pointed west. "I've got the Pearson kids looking in all the yards on that side of the street and Nicole and Donna from next door, checking this side. I was just about to go east when some of the kids said they saw you come home." He raked a hand through his hair. "I don't get it, Fox. I don't know how he could have gotten out of the yard. I'm always so carefully to lock the gate..."

Fox rubbed his arms reassuringly. "It's okay, babe. We'll find him. Let's split up, we'll cover more ground, that way. Have you notified the pound in case someone finds him and brings him there?"

"Yeah. It's the first thing I did, after I realized that he was missing."

"Okay." Fox gave his lover a quick kiss. "Let's go."

The two men went their separate ways, looking under cars, in yards, behind bushes, *anywhere* a puppy could hide. For hours, they called Clyde's name, hoping against hope that the pup would come bounding out to greet them. But as the sun began to fade, so did hope. Finally, at around nine-thirty, Fox tracked Alex down and tried to talk him into coming home.

"Alex," he grasped the younger man's shoulders, "we've been out here for hours and hours. He's not around." He raised the tone of his voice, trying to instill a bit of hope. "Maybe someone who doesn't know who he belongs to, took him in. Let's try the pound again, in case they've been notified."

Alex's eyes never kept still the entire time Fox talked to him. He continuously scanned the area, looking for movement, tuning his ears in to the growing stillness, listening for a whine, a tiny yip.

Nothing.

"Baby..."

"What?" 

"Come on. Let's go call."

He managed to steer Alex to the house and sat his heartsick lover at the kitchen table, while he called the pound.

"...yeah....okay...well, please keep an eye for him. Right. Thanks."

He hung up and turned to Alex. There was really no need to say it, the conversation was clear. Clyde had not been turned in. He walked up behind Alex and wrapped his arms around his chest. "He'll turn up," he mumbled into the other man's hair.

"What if he was hit by a car? Or he's *stuck* somewhere? Or someone stole him? You know, there are people around who pick up strays and turn them in to labs for money..." He shuddered at the thought.

Fox tightened his arms around Alex. "Don't think that way. He's fine. I'll bet you he's safe and warm in somebody's house, and *believe* me, with all the mischief *he* gets into, I'll bet they're *dying* to find his owners. In fact, they'll probably want to pay *us* to take him back."

A trace of a smile formed on Alex's lips. "Come on, he's not that bad..."

"Oh sure, it's not *your* shoes he's destroying."

"He loves you. That's why he likes getting into your things."

"Well, maybe he could love me just a tiny bit less, hmm?"

Alex squeezed one of the arms draped around him. "Want a sandwich or something? It's late and you haven't eaten a thing."

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll be right back, okay?"

Alex nodded and rose from the table. "Ham and cheese, okay?"

"Fine," Fox called as he exited the room. His shoulders slumped as soon as the door swung shut behind him. He had to remain cool and calm for Alex, but the truth of the matter was, he was just as sick about Clyde's disappearance as his lover. He raked a hand through his hair and headed toward the master bathroom, praying to God and every other deity he could think of, to please let their puppy be found and returned to them.

As he passed through the bedroom and toward the bathroom, the partially-open closet door caught his eye. He'd forgotten again, to close it after he'd pulled his clothes out. He sighed, moving in that direction. He started to slide the door shut, when a soft gnawing sound grabbed his attention. He peered down into the dark closet and grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex stood at the counter, staring down at the half-made sandwich. He didn't know why he'd made one for himself, he wasn't the least bit hungry. But Fox would complain if he didn't eat too, and he really wasn't up for a struggle.

The sudden slam startled him out of his trance and he looked down at what appeared to have once been a shoe. He stared down at the mangled object on the counter beside him, then spun around to find Fox standing behind him, a smug little grin on his face, holding...Clyde.

"Here's your damn dog."

Fox's grin turned into a full smile, when Alex's face lit up and the younger man approached, taking the puppy from him. 

"Clyde!" He hugged and kissed the puppy, then turned his attention onto Fox. "Where was he?"

"In the closet," Fox nodded toward the counter, "having a snack."

Alex planted more kisses on the furry little head. "Jeez, Clyde, don't you know how worried we were? Why didn't you answer when we called?"

Fox shook his head. "It's been two weeks. You think he's actually learned his name in that time?"

"He knows it," Alex countered indignantly. "He's a smart puppy. I wonder how he got into the house without me seeing him?"

"Well, we left the gate open when he went out looking for him, and if you remember correctly, the kitchen door was open, too. He probably wandered back in while we out there."

Alex rested his cheek against Clyde's head. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

Fox approached, wrapping his arms around Alex and Clyde. The puppy wiggled between them, licking first one face, then the other. 

"You know, I can't even bring myself to be mad about the shoe. I'm just glad he's back and he's okay."

Alex grinned, kissing his lover softly. "God, I'm exhausted all of a sudden."

"Yeah, me too. Let's eat, then get to bed."

The two men ate their sandwiches, then retreated to their bedroom and set Clyde down on his blanket. They'd tried every trick from ticking clocks to hot water bottles, and nothing but being here in the bedroom, kept him quiet at night, so in the interest of a good night's sleep, the bedroom is where he stayed.

He was indeed an intelligent dog and had learned quickly to go to the door and bark if he wanted to go outside, so they'd recently begun to trust him outside of his crate. Once the lights were out, he usually just settled down on the blanket and went to sleep. Tonight, he was out even before Fox and Alex got into bed. 

Alex smiled at Fox as he dropped onto the mattress, and nodded to the corner. "He wore himself out."

"*And* us," Fox added.

Alex wound his arm around his lover's waist and tucked his head into his shoulder. A soft sigh was his only reply.

Fox closed his eyes and gently stroked the length of Alex's back.

Alex moaned deep in his throat and draped a leg over Fox's hips, brushing his semi-erect cock as he did. 

"Thought you were tired?"

"I am."

Alex slipped a hand down to his lover's crotch. "Apparently 'little Fox' isn't." He fondled the older man's cock gently.

"Hmmmm..."

"Close your eyes," Alex whispered against Fox's shoulder as he continued to tease the now, completely swollen shaft. "Just relax and let me take care of you."

Fox's hand wandered over to Alex's crotch and began to caress his cock, but the other man grasped his wrist and took his hand away.

"But, what about you?"

Alex gave him a devious little smile. "I've got two hands."

Laughter rumbled in Fox's chest. "You're bad."

"And aren't you glad?"

"Ecstatic..."

Movement at the foot of the bed, drew their attention away from each other. Fox's eyebrows drew down into a distinct frown and Alex burst into laughter, as Clyde made his way up onto the bed. Before either of them could react further, he was leaping across the mattress and jumping between the two, wiggling and wagging and licking them silly.

"Oh, this is great," Fox complained between wet kisses. "*Now* what?"

"Don't know. Maybe he has to go outside." 

"I'll take him." Fox flipped the sheet off and rolled out of bed. As he got up, Clyde jumped to the floor and ran to the door. Wrestling a pair of shorts over his erection, he turned to Alex, who was lying sprawled and naked before him, fingers teasing his own cock. He groaned softly. "Hold that thought."

"Don't worry."

Fox growled softly at him, then opened the door and disappeared into the hall with the dog.

Alex closed his eyes and wrapped his fingers around his cock, sliding his thumb back and forth across the glistening tip. His breathing quickened ever so slightly and his heart beat just a little faster as he anticipated Fox's return. Amazing how no matter how tired either of them was, all it would take was a touch to make them forget their fatigue. Or at least, ignore it for a little while...

Fox returned, leaning quietly in the doorway. His already erect cock throbbed painfully in his shorts, in response to the sight that awaited him on the bed.

Alex...sprawled over the middle portion of the bed, dark head thrown back against the pillows, one hand clenching in the tangle of sheets, and the other slowly pumping his cock. 

//Jesus fucking Christ. //

Thick, sable lashes swept upward and glazed eyes searched out the origin of the low moan. He found it in the doorway. His eyes focused on Fox's and he arched and writhed slowly, all the while, teasing himself with light caresses. "Where's Clyde?" he half whispered, half moaned.

"I gave him some treats and every toy he had, and left him in the laundry room. Should keep him quiet long enough for us to finish this."

"Us?" Alex emitted a shaky laugh. "Looks like I'm the one doing all the work."

"And you're doing it so well. Please...continue."

Alex grinned and tipped his head back into the pillows. "Mmmmm...." His fingers traced the large vein on the underside of his cock, then circled the prominent ridge of the head. His thumb swept over the tip, spreading the pearl of fluid around the blunt surface. His eyes opened again and found his lover's. He raised his thumb to his lips and slid it between them, sucking and licking, tasting himself.

Fox approached, unable to stay away any longer. He reached the edge of the bed and pulled his shorts off. His erection sprang forward, practically leaping into Alex's palm as he reached out for it. His eyes closed and his mouth dropped open on a hard gasp as Alex milked them both at the same infuriatingly slow pace.

"Lie down next to me, lisa."

Alex moved over, making room for his lover to settle in beside him. He rested his left arm along Fox's body and grasped his cock, then took his own erection in his right hand. He began to stroke them both again, slowly, firmly. Fox watched through the fringe of his eyelashes, shifting from himself to Alex, watching those skillful hands work each cock in almost identical rhythm.

"That's good, baby," Fox rasped, turning his head to nuzzle his lover's ear. "Mmmmm. Sooo good...."

Fox's words tickled the interior of Alex's ear, sending a ripple all through his body. He increased the pace of his strokes a bit, taking them closer to the edge. Fox's body twitched in response and soft whimpers began to push past his lips.

"Oh God, Fox....faster?"

"*Yes*. Faster, baby. I'm almost there. Almost..."

Alex turned his face to Fox's and covered his mouth in a long kiss, their tongues intertwining, as he quickened his pace. 

Fox grunted into Alex's mouth, feeling the inevitable approach of his orgasm. The younger man deepened the kiss, refusing to break it until it was over, prompting more frequent and longer moans from his lover. His hands moved faster and with more force, driving each of them closer and closer. He released Fox's mouth for a split second, before claiming it once more in another bone-jarring kiss.

Fox's body stiffened and he whimpered frantically against Alex's mouth as he felt his climax tear through him. His lover was right behind him, pumping furiously and groaning his satisfaction, as they both came all over his hands and their own bodies.

When it was finished, Alex relinquished his claim on Fox's mouth and lay panting, on his back. Fox curled into his side, a deep purr rumbling in his chest. Alex kissed the top of his head and moved away. 

"Be right back."

Fox grumbled his protest, but allowed Alex to go to the bathroom to wash. The younger man returned moments later, and gently washed Fox with a warm cloth.

"Better?"

"Mmm hmm." 

Alex dispensed with the washcloth and returned to bed, pulling up the sheet and tangling his limbs with his lover's. Just as both were passing into sleep, a small creak brought them back to consciousness. Before they fully realized where the sound had come from, Clyde climbed up on the bed and plopped down, draping himself over Fox's leg. Fox looked down at the puppy, then at his lover.

"How the hell did he..."

"You left the laundry room door open, didn't you?"

Mulder shook his head. "I guess, I...I *must* have...uh...Clyde?"

The puppy came to life, leaping at Fox's chest, attempting to wash his face.

"Come on now, cut it out!"

Alex burst into laughter. "I just got this stupid image of Fred and Dino in my head..."

Fox ignored him. He sat up, talking sternly to the puppy...or so he thought...

"Let's you and me get something straight here, dog. This is a *people* bed." He pointed to the blanket in the corner of the room. "That's a dog bed. We're people, you're a dog. We sleep here, you sleep there. Understand?"

Clyde nuzzled under his arm and dropped himself between the two men. He lay his head on top of his paws and turned pathetic brown eyes up at Fox. The man whimpered and dropped his chin against his chest.

"Oh yeah," Alex interjected. "I'll tell you what he understands. He understands that you're a real pushover."

"No, I'm *not*."

"Yes you *are*. Admit it. He's *got* you."

Fox shook his head, trying to conceal a smirk. "Isn't it enough that *you've* *got* me?"

"It's not exactly the same..."

"Pretty close when you think about it." The smirk came. "You both look at me with big old puppy dog eyes to try to get over on me, you both wiggle your tails when you want attention..."

Alex broke into hysterical laughter.

Fox leaned in as close as he could, with the dog between them. "You both whimper and whine when I hit that special spot..."

Alex twisted and arched his neck, whining softly and nuzzling the hand that Fox used to support himself. Clyde's head snapped up and he looked at Alex, cocking his head from side to side.

Fox laughed softly and rested his head against the pillows, petting Alex's head. 

"Well, at least *you* don't chew up my shoes..."

END

 

* * *

 

Admissions VIII: The Best Laid Plans  
Rated NC-17 m/m sexual situations of the consensual and non-consensual variety, bad language and violence  
Summary: Another chapter from the world of Admission. The "asshole" at the bar in A-V: Paradise Found, has a name...and a nasty plan. Angst, angst, violence, schmoop, death of insignificant characters, schmoop, angst  
Disclaimer: *Why* should they be CC's, huh? Answer me that! It's glaringly obvious that he has no idea what to do with them! "*I* on the other hand...  
Endless thanks to Nic, Orithain and Sue, for righteous beta and endless squidge. As always, big hugs to the lovely Pat for not wanting to shoot me everytime she finds another few pages in her mail. Love you all!  
Feedback: Yes, please. You can reach me at   
Dedicated to Laurissa for being so enthusiastic, not to mention wonderfully sweet.

* * *

Admissions VIII: The Best Laid Plans  
by Aries

The snow is in the north  
An icy wind is blowin'  
He sees that I don't know  
You're losin' me babe  
My eyes are filled with cryin'  
For seven days now  
If you don't come back to me  
I fear the flood is comin'  
You're losin' me  
You're losin' me  
You're losin'...me

From deep into the night  
He sees that I don't know  
A hurricane is ragin' in my emotions  
The mist against the rise  
You're losin' me babe  
My heart is ever changin'  
For seven days now  
If you don't come back to me  
I say the flood is comin'  
You're losin'...me  
You're losin' me  
You're losin'...me

Rain on my face is like a river  
All I can do is let it run  
Ice in my blood that makes me shiver  
I need your smile to bring me back the sun

If you don't come back to me  
I see the flood is comin'  
You're losin' me  
You're losin' me  
You're losin' me  
You're losin' me.....

You're Losing Me

Zucchero

The Best Laid Plans  
Part One

The man moved smoothly through the crowd. The picture of serene elegance. He nodded his greeting to several others as he passed them by, but never stopped for conversation.

Attached to his side, arm wound through his, the young man scanned the room, noting that there were several others like him. Pampered-looking and well dressed. Alert and anxious. Ready to jump, with nothing more than a word or a tiny crook of the finger of the men they were with.

He observed them, curious about their situations. Were they happy? Here by choice, or were they like him? Prisoners, playing along with the game, because it's all they *could* do...One thing that he did notice that was different about most of them, was that they were apparently able to talk and mingle with others. *He'd* never been allowed.

A light tug brought his attention back to where it belonged.

Cold, gray eyes searched the room as the two men continued to move. A delighted smile curved the older man's lips as he found who he'd been looking for.

"Morgan!"

A short, snub-nosed, and altogether unpleasant looking man rose to his feet, smiling.

"Justin, old man! How the hell are you?"

"Quite well. How was France?"

"Wonderful. Six months on the Riviera should be a requirement for everyone."

"Well," Justin chuckled, "Some of us *do* have businesses to run, you know...did you uh...bring back anything *interesting*?"

"Sadly, no. I indulged in a couple of lovely dalliances, but none were looking for anything beyond that." He eyed his friend's silent companion and grinned. "I see *you* have a new one."

"Ah, yes. Matthew has been with me for about six months, now."

"Looks young."

"Twenty-four," Justin announced proudly.

The other man moved in for closer inspection. He cast a lascivious grin at his friend. "May I?"

"Certainly."

The young man flinched as one pudgy hand rose to stroke his face.

"Soft."

Justin cocked one gray eyebrow. "Would you care to give him a try?"

The young man's head snapped around toward the sound of Justin's voice. He stared in mute shock.

"That would be lovely. You really wouldn't mind?"

"Certainly not. Consider it my welcome home gift. Just remember my rules about the face."

"I will." He leaned in and lightly nuzzled Matthew's ear. "You and I dear boy, are going to have a marvelous time." He then turned his attention back to the other man. "I really must run, now."

"Already? But the entertainment will be beginning soon."

"I know. I wish I could stay, but Malcolm Lang will have my head if I don't get over to his place, tonight. I've been promising since I got back."

"All right then," Justin's voice oozed disappointment. "Call me this week and we'll make arrangements for Matthew."

"Oh, I'll certainly do that. Goodnight, Justin."

"Goodnight."

The moment the other man was gone, Matthew turned wide, frightened eyes to his companion.

"Justin...I don't...I don't want to...please..."

"I'm sorry, Matthew, did you say something?"

"I don't *want* to go with him. Please don't make me."

"Oh now darling," Justin cooed, stroking the younger man's hair, "Don't be afraid. Just do what he says and everything will be fine. It's only for one night."

"I can't, Justin. *Please*."

The older man curled his fingers in Matthew's hair, pulling to the point of discomfort. His voice remained smooth and calm as ever. "You can and you will. There will be no more discussion."

Matthew fell silent, letting the fear in his aqua eyes, do all the talking.

Justin changed the subject. "Now. It's time to prepare for the entertainment portion of our evening."

"Pre..prepare?"

"Yes...oh, didn't I tell you?" The older man sighed. "Forgive me darling, it would seem that old Justin is getting quite forgetful in his old age. *You* are this evening's entertainment..."

Fox opened his eyes upon hearing the sound of the front door. Before he could utter a word of greeting, he found himself pinned under ninety pounds of whining, wagging, excited, German Shepherd.

"Christ! Clyde, you are *not* a Pomeranian!" he complained, making a half-hearted attempt at pushing the thirteen month old *puppy* off of his chest.

An amused voice came from somewhere above his head. "He's glad you're home."

"Yeah, well, his enthusiasm is going to collapse a lung!"

Alex clapped his hands. "Okay, Clyde. You've had him long enough. My turn."

The dog hopped down, and just as Fox was trying to draw some air back into his lungs, Alex pounced on him.

"Shit!"

"I'm glad you're home, too," the smoky voice purred just before Alex covered his mouth in a long, hungry kiss.

Fox growled up at his lover after he was finally released. "I'm glad that *you're* glad."

Alex planted another quick kiss on his lips, then lowered his head to Fox's chest. "How was Detroit?"

"Dirty...and a colossal waste of time. Scully was pissed."

"Well, you couldn't know that until you got there."

"She kept saying even before we left, that she had a feeling that it'd turn out to be a waste. Now I owe her a dinner."

Alex shook with silent laughter, but said nothing.

"....A *home cooked* dinner..."

The dark head lifted. "Oh, *I* get it. You get yourself into trouble with Scully, and *I* have to bail you out."

Fox grinned up at him.

"You know, I remember you telling me once that you were going to learn to cook, or was that just bullshit?"

Fox shrugged. "That was just bullshit."

"Yeah? Well guess what? *You're* going to make her dinner. *You*. By your*self*."

"Alex..."

"I don't care if it's grilled cheese..."

"Alexei..."

"On paper plates..."

"I love you..."

"Forget it. You're not going to get me with that, *this* time."

Fox slid one hand down his lover's back a brought it to rest on the curve of his ass. Holding Alex steady, he pushed up with his hips, grinding their hardening cocks together. "Baby..." he moaned into the other man's ear.

Alex groaned softly, writhing slowly against him. "Shit...is baked stuffed shrimp, okay?"

The young man lay in a miserable heap on his bed. He'd only recently returned from Morgan's house, and all he could think to do, was collapse onto his bed and try to shut out the horrible memory of the man's touch, the sickening smell of his aftershave...his hot, stale breath...

Matthew rolled over onto his back and winced. He immediately moved onto his side, breathing deeply to try and quell the wave of nausea that accompanied the rush of pain. His eyes welled with tears as he relived the whipping and humiliation he'd been subjected to.

What was it with these men and beatings? Justin had him whipped on the odd occasion as well, not so much for discipline, he'd learned long ago to *behave*. It was more a reminder, Justin said. In *case* he'd ever entertained any thoughts of rebellion.

The perverted bastard would sit there, stroking himself through his pants, while the beating took place. Then, when it was over, he'd make Matthew get down on his knees and suck him off, right then and there. Only after he'd performed, was he allowed to clean up and have his wounds attended to. Sometimes Justin himself, would bathe him and apply salve to the nasty red welts on his back, all the while, cooing and purring at him, making the agony ten times worse.

Morgan had him whipped last night, for the sheer pleasure of it. He made Matthew get down on his hands and knees, and while he took him from behind, another man kneeled in front of him, shoving his cock again and again down his throat. Everytime he gagged, a third man would give him one lash with a thick, leather belt. Eight lashes in all. Each one harder than the last. His muffled screams only served to excite Morgan further. The man pounded relentlessly into him, groaning heavily as he emptied himself into the young man's trembling body. The man in front of him came seconds later, spurting into his mouth and over part of his cheek and chin.

When they'd finished with him, Morgan ordered that he be cleaned up and returned to Justin in the morning, along with a large fruit basket and a note of thanks.

Matthew wept bitter tears of regret, wishing with all his heart that he had not taken Justin up on his offer so many months ago. But the man was so poised and elegant. And convincing. He'd wined and dined Matthew several times. Bought him expensive gifts, promised travel and adventure...

Oh, it was an adventure, all right. One he'd never have wished on his worst enemy. Now he was trapped, with no way that he could see, out of it.

He'd had opportunities. They were alone, plenty of times. He was young. At least thirty years younger than Justin...he could probably easily overpower the man...kill him if he needed to, but...he was weak. Not physically weak, Justin saw to it that he was kept in shape. Made for a prettier picture, when they went out together. His weakness lay in the mind. Justin had broken him down so completely, it was impossible for him to even consider such action.

So, this was it. This was his life. He was a toy. To be used and abused on the whim of a rich man, who was apparently not unwilling to lend him out to his friends. And when he was used up...when he'd served his purpose and was no longer good looking and young...which at this rate, wouldn't be long at all, he'd probably be disposed of and a new young, unsuspecting man would take his place.

Matthew closed his eyes, wishing that he would never open them again.

"Alex, why do you let him get away with this stuff?" Scully asked between mouthfuls of the succulent shrimp. "*He* dragged me down to Detroit," she complained, jabbing her fork in Fox's direction, "after I *told* him that it was going to be a waste of time, from the word *go*. *He* owed me the dinner, not you. How does he do it?"

Alex looked from Scully to his lover, who was resting his head on one hand, and doing one of those irresistible, pouty things with his mouth. He shook his head and replied, voice filled with adoration, "He plays dirty."

Three hours later, Scully thanked Alex for a wonderful meal, gave Fox a disgusted grunt, and left.

The two men watched her pull away from the house, then closed the door. Fox immediately wound his arms around Alex.

"Thanks, baby."

Alex locked his arms around Fox's waist. "You really want to thank me?"

A slow smile curved his lover's full mouth. "What, saying it wasn't enough?"

Alex displayed a flash of white teeth. "Did you think it would be?"

Fox leaned forward, and gently ran his tongue along Alex's lower lip. He stopped, and turned gold-splashed eyes up to deep green. The gold disappeared behind heavily-fringed lids, as he tenderly covered Alex's lips with his own. Their tongues mated, stroking and tasting the faint flavor of shrimp and wine.

Fox swept the interior of Alex's mouth once more, then broke the kiss. He gave the younger man a knowing smirk. "Thanks, enough?"

Alex brought his hands around to the front of Fox's shirt and began to undo the buttons, and back him toward the sofa. "Oh no, lisa...I'll let you know when it's enough..."

"Matthew! Darling, you're back." Justin swept into the young man's room and seated himself at the edge of the bed. He reached out to stroke the light brown head. "How was your evening?"

The young man shuddered at the question. Tormented, bloodshot eyes turned up to look into he older man's face. "It hurts," he said in a small, unsteady voice.

"Hmm? What hurts?"

"My...my back. He had...he had me...me..beaten."

Justin's expression turned faintly disapproving. "Did you misbehave, Matthew?"

"No! No, I swear..I swear, I didn't. He just did it for...for fun. Please, Justin. *Please* say you'll never make me go back there. He's terrible..."

"Now, now, Matthew. Calm yourself. It's all right. Morgan meant you no real harm. He's just a bit frustrated, I think. He hasn't had a steady relationship for quite some time." He leaned in to speak into the prone man's ear. "You see...just between you and me, Morgan isn't the most attractive of men in his older years. He can't even *buy* steady companionship, and it's very upsetting for him. That story about his encounters on the Riviera were just that. Stories. I happen to know that he spent those six months very much alone. He's my friend, and I feel sorry for him. That's why I sent you to him. To see if maybe you couldn't cheer him up a bit. I *am* sorry that you didn't enjoy the evening." Justin eyed Matthew intently. "It wasn't anything like you and I, was it?"

Matthew closed his eyes and fought to control the trembling of his lip. "N-no."

"You love being in *my* bed, don't you, darling?"

"Yes...yes, Justin."

Justin smiled coldly and whispered, "Of course you do. I'd take you there now, my love, but I have to be out of town for a few days."

"A few days?" Matthew didn't know whether to be relieved or hurt, that Justin would leave him after what he'd been through.

"Yes, love. But don't worry, I shall leave explicit instructions with the staff. As always, they will take excellent care of you in my absence. And when I return, we'll have some time alone together. You would like that, yes?"

Weary eyes flitted away. "Yes."

"Tres bien. Now, I must go." Justin planted a soft kiss on unresponsive lips, then rose from the bed. He called over his shoulder, as he walked to the door. "I'll bring back something nice for you." And then he was gone.

"Have you got everything?"

"Yeah."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Mother."

Alex gave his lover a playful swat on the ass. "One day, I'm just going to let you leave without something important. *Then* you'll appreciate my double checks."

"I managed just fine for *years*, Alex."

"Oh, okay. So you don't need *me*..."

"You know I didn't mean it that way."

Alex turned away and waited. Any second now...

He smiled as he felt Fox's arms come around his chest.

"You know I need you, baby..."

Unable to resist, Fox nuzzled the ear by his mouth, tickling the interior with the tip of his tongue.

Alex giggled and shrugged away. "No, no. You're gonna be late if you start that. If Scully's gotta wait for you one more time, she'll kill us both." He picked up Fox's garment bag and headed for the door. "Let's go."

Fox followed the younger man out to the driveway, grumbling the entire time. Alex popped the trunk, and he lifted his suitcase into the compartment.

As was their custom, they said their good-byes at home. Alex closed the trunk and leaned against it, as Fox pressed into him.

"I'll call you when I get there," Fox promised, just before bestowing a brief kiss on Alex's lips.

Alex nodded. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Mischievous smirk. "Even though you don't need me?"

Fox grasped a handful of dark hair and tilted Alex's head back, a bit. "What did I tell you about that?"

"I don't know," Alex purred. "Remind me."

Fox's mouth came down hard on his, drinking in all the sweetness he could, in the few seconds they had.

When they separated, Alex grinned at him, and rocked against his very noticeable erection. "Better put your jacket on."

"Yeah, *thanks*."

"Any time."

Fox turned to Clyde, who had followed them out of the house, and was standing at his feet. He scratched the dog's head. "Later, Clyde. Keep him out of trouble, okay?"

The dog's tail swept back and forth in a wide, lazy arc, and he whined softly.

"Okay, Clyde," Alex clapped his hands. "In the house. We gotta go."

The dog followed him to the house, and trotted inside. Alex closed the door behind him, and when he returned to the car, Fox was waiting for him in the passenger's seat. One more long kiss, and Alex pulled out of the driveway.

Scully was waiting outside of her building, when they arrived. She glanced down at her watch, then gave Fox a scowl.

"What? Come on, Scully, we're not more than a few minutes late."

"It was *his* fault," Alex offered as he took Scully's bags from her and laid them in the trunk.

"That's nice," Fox said, opening the rear door for Scully. "One little look from her, and you just roll over on me..."

"As far as I'm concerned, one of you is just as guilty as the other," Scully interrupted, as they all got into the car. "Let's just get going before we miss our flight."

They arrived at the airport with time to spare. Alex stopped in front of the terminal, and popped the trunk. As they removed the bags, Alex snuck a pinch at his lover's ass, insuring that his flagging erection was revived. Fox flinched and gave him a lustful glare. Alex smiled sweetly at him.

"Have a good trip. Be careful, both of you."

"I'll call you tonight," Fox said softly.

Alex nodded.

Scully tugged on Fox's arm and started to walk inside. "Thanks for the ride, Alex. See you in a few days."

"Bye, Scully," Alex called, never taking his eyes off of his retreating lover. Fox stopped at the doors, and glanced back once more. Alex puckered his lips in a tiny trace of a kiss, and his lover smiled, before disappearing inside the terminal.

The elegantly dressed man stood at the wall-length window of his hotel room, looking out at the panoramic view of the city, but not really seeing a thing. He held the phone to his ear, listening to the profuse apologies of the man on the other end.

"Mr. Saint James, please. I beg you to reconsider. Don't pull your accounts. It was an honest error. One I guarantee you, will never be repeated. The team at fault has been fired. Every last one of them..."

"It will take more than that, Mr. Phillips. Much more than that, before I would even consider resuming our association."

"Give me your conditions, Mr. Saint James. I'll do everything in my power to accommodate you."

Justin smiled. "I'll have to think on that, Mr. Phillips. I'll be in touch."

Before the voice on the other end could reply, Justin disconnected and called to his assistant. "Frank?"

A good looking, middle-aged man of medium height and build, appeared from the other room. "Yes, sir?"

"Call the club and tell Jerome that I'm in town, and that I'd like to drop in this evening."

"Very good, sir." The man retreated into the room from which he had come, leaving Justin to turn back to the view. One side of his mouth turned upward, as he anticipated an amusing evening.

New York City was one of his favorite places to be.

"I'm sorry Mulder, I just don't see the correlation." Even at this slower pace, Scully had to walk twice as fast to keep up with her partner's long strides. "*What* have three eviscerated transients got to do with a blackout? This is New York. Both, I would guess, are fairly common."

"*Three* blackouts, Scully, all occurring at the same time as each of the deaths. You don't find that just a little bit suspect?"

"No! When *better* to commit a crime? It's *dark*. Less chance of being seen..."

"June ninth, twelfth, seventeenth, and twenty-second, nineteen ninety. Same thing happened in Chicago. No killer was ever found. M.E. never could determine what kind of weapon was used, either."

"Well, let's just wait until all the reports come back, okay? *Then* you can start speculating."

Fox smiled and changed the subject. "The restaurant was great, wasn't it? I'd like to take Alex there, sometime. He'd love it."

Scully observed her partner's wistful expression and shook her head. "It's only been a day, Mulder."

"I know. I miss him, what can I say?"

They walked up to the entrance to their hotel, and stepped inside.

"You're going to call him the second you get in your room, aren't you?"

"*No*..." Fox grinned. "I'm going to take my jacket off, first."

They boarded the elevator, and traveled in silence, up to the third floor. They stopped at Scully's door, and said goodnight. Once she was safely inside, Fox unlocked the door to his adjoining room, and entered.

He removed his jacket and tie, flinging them across the back of a chair, then fell onto the bed, and picked up the phone. He punched in his home number, and waited only two rings before hearing the soft hello.

"It's me," he said in an equally soft tone.

"Have a good day?"

"Depends on what you call good, I guess."

"Good, is you having cracked this case, and calling to tell me that your pretty ass is on a plane back home, tomorrow."

"It sucked."

"Damn."

Fox sighed into the phone. "I miss you, baby."

Brief silence, then, "What are you doing?"

"Talking to you."

"Lonely?"

"Very. You?"

"You know I am. We are you?"

"On the bed. Where are *you*?"

"Couch."

"Going to bed, soon?"

"I guess. Nothing else to do."

"Why don't you go, right now?"

"You don't want to talk to me anymore?"

"Of course I do. I just want to talk to you while you're in bed."

Silence.

"Are you going?"

"On my way...okay, I'm here."

Fox unbuttoned and removed his shirt, then started to unbuckle his belt. "Get undressed and lie down."

More silence, then, "Okay."

"All your clothes are off?"

"Uh-huh. What about you?"

"Just...yeah. You haven't changed the sheets, have you?"

"No."

"You want to be able to smell me..."

"Yeah..."

"I can smell you if I close my eyes and concentrate..." Fox sighed softly. "I can taste you..."

"Mmmmm..."

"What are you doing?"

"Suffering like you wouldn't believe."

"Why?"

Hoarse moan. "I need you."

"Close your eyes."

"They're already closed."

"Good. Think of us together. I'm there with you, baby. Right beside you, kissing those lips. Can you feel my tongue inside your mouth?

"Yes..."

"What does it taste like?"

"Spaghetti sauce...Mountain Dew...double chocolate brownies..."

Fox laughed softly. "All that?"

"You asked..."

Another chuckle. "Can you feel my hand on your chest?"

"Yeah."

"Touch your chest, Alex. Skim your fingertips over the skin." Fox continued to speak while he touched himself in the same manner. "Brush them over your nipples." Alex's soft moan hardened his already solid erection, even more. "Do you like that?"

"Yes," Alex breathed into the phone.

"It's my hand baby. Those are my fingers teasing you." Fox grasped his own nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and pulled gently. "Pinch your nipple, Alex." The soft gasp told him that his instructions were being followed. "A little harder...twist it...that's right. I can hear you panting. Is it good?"

"So good," the voice on the other end whimpered.

"I know. Do you want me to touch your cock?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"Touch my cock."

"Beg me for it."

"Fox, *please*. Please touch me. I need it so much."

"All right, baby." Fox moved his hand down to his own cock. "I need you to touch me too. Easy though, okay?"

"Okay."

Fox's fingers moved slowly and gently over the length of his erection. "That's it. Oh yeah, Alex. That's it. Nice and slow." A long, low moan reached his ear, triggering an almost identical reaction. He circled the head, spreading over it, the bead of fluid at the tip. "Play with the head...is it slick?"

"Yes..."

"Taste it, Alex." Fox raised his fingers to his own mouth, and sucked on them. "What does it taste like?"

"You."

Fox smiled into the phone. "I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to explode. Will you come with me?"

"Yes, lisa. Please..."

"Wrap your hand around your cock." Fox did the same to himself. "It's me squeezing you. I'm stroking you baby, loving you. I love your cock, Alex. It's so beautiful."

The breathing on the other end grew erratic. "Fox..."

"My beautiful baby..." Fox's hand moved faster, and his clipped grunts prompted Alex to quicken his pace. "Faster, Alex. Faster. Are you with me? Come with me..."

"I'm with you...oh God, I'm..."

Alex's harsh cries were almost immediately followed by those of his lover. They faded away, and all that was left were soft whimpers and heavy, rasping struggles for breath. Alex was the first to recover enough to speak.

"You ever think of becoming a one-nine hundred operator? You'd make a fortune."

Fox laughed softly into the phone. "You wouldn't really appreciate that much, would you?"

"Actually, no. I don't want you talking dirty to anyone but me."

"Didn't think so."

"What time is it?"

"Uh...ten fifteen."

"I've got an early day. I should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, okay."

"Hey."

"What?"

"That was nice. *Very* nice, but..."

"But what?"

"I want to fall asleep with my arms around you."

"I know. Soon, lisa. Just hurry up and get the damn case solved, okay?"

"I'll move it along as fast as I can."

"Okay. Go to sleep, now."

"Night, Alex."

"Goodnight."

Alex dropped the cordless phone onto the nightstand, and rolled out of bed. He walked to the bathroom, washed the semen from his hand and stomach, then fell back into bed, pulling one of Fox's pillows to his chest. He buried his face in the soft cotton, inhaling the faint scent of his lover. His eyes drifted shut, and he fell asleep, soon afterward.

"Those are the conditions, Mr. Phillips. Take them or leave them."

"Well...um..." Phillips looked over the four page document. "I'll um...I'll see what I can do. I'll let you know tomorrow..."

"You'll let me know, today. By four o'clock."

"But that's only three hours from now."

"Not exactly the can-do attitude I expect, Mr. Phillips. Maybe your company is not the place for my accounts, after all..."

Justin rose to leave, but Phillips' pleading tone stopped him.

"No. Please. I'll make it happen, Mr. Saint James, I promise you."

"Now, that's an attitude I can respect. Very well, Mr. Phillips. You have until four. Now, let's finish our lunch. This trout is too good to waste."

As Phillips dug into his lunch, Justin's attention was suddenly distracted by the tall man in the dark blue suit, who had just passed them. His eyes flicked over to the petite red-head walking beside him.

So familiar.

The couple was seated only two tables away, and when the hostess moved from his line of sight, his eyes narrowed.

It couldn't be. But it is. I would never forget one so beautiful. Imagine, after all this time, seeing him again.

He watched the man and woman for a few seconds, before another man approached their table.

"Agent Mulder!" The short, skinny man reached the table. "I'm sorry, I almost forgot. Are you going back to the M.E.'s office?"

"Yeah. After lunch."

"All right, then. Chief Evans said he'd meet you there."

"Okay, Cassidy. We'll be there in an hour or so."

"I'll let the chief know. Enjoy your lunch."

The man in the cheap suit retreated, leaving the couple alone.

Mulder, Mulder. *Agent* Mulder.

"FBI?"

"I'm sorry?"

Justin looked to Phillips, realizing that he'd said that out loud. "Nothing." His eyes refocused on their target. "I must cut our lunch short, Phillips. I just remembered a prior engagement. I'll expect to hear from you at four."

Before the other man could respond, Justin rose from the table and walked toward the entrance.

Fox talked softly with Scully, all the while, casting glances around the nearly deserted restaurant. The man who had just risen from the table a few feet away, caught his eye, and he stopped conversation.

"Mulder? Mulder, what's up? Why'd you stop in mid-sentence?"

Fox ignored his partner's questions, as he watched the man speaking to the hostess.

"Mulder!"

"Scully, look at that man."

"What man?" By the time Scully turned around, she could only see the retreating back. "The man leaving?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

"Remember that jerk at the club on Andros?"

Scully shook her head. "I remember the encounter, but I couldn't say as I'd remember what he looked like, exactly. That was a long time ago, Mulder."

"I know, but I remember well, and I think it's him. In fact, I'd stake my life on it."

Scully shrugged. "Okay...some coincidence, huh?"

"Yeah."

The appearance of the waiter in front of them, brought the conversation to an end.

"Justin! How are you, old friend?"

"Fine, Paul. Thank you for making time for me."

"Hey, all you ever have to do is ask. What is it I can do for you?"

"I would like some information on someone. Unfortunately, all I have is a last name. *But*, I believe I know what his line of work is."

Paul smirked. "New prospect?"

Justin merely smiled. "Just see what you can find out, all right?"

"All right. What is the name?"

"Mulder."

"Uh huh. And what is it you think he does?"

"I believe he may be an FBI agent."

Paul's head snapped up. "*Really*."

"Can you find out for sure?"

"Well...yes..."

"I'll make it worth your while."

The other man nodded and began to tap at his computer. A few moments later, he hit paydirt.

"I've come up with a Fox William Mulder..."

Justin turned from the window he'd been looking out of.

"Born October thirteen, ninety sixty-one, six feet tall, brown hair, hazel eyes...there's a picture."

Justin leaned over his friend and looked into the eyes of the man he'd seen earlier at the restaurant.

"Very nice."

"The picture does him no justice, Paul, trust me. So he is a government agent."

Paul hit a few more keys. "Oh, yeah. Look at this stuff. This guy's really something."

Justin read the information. "Yes, it would appear that he is, indeed. Brilliant *and* beautiful."

"I hate to say it my friend, but I think you may be wasting your time with this one."

Justin cocked his head.

"Federal agent, Justin. Even if he *wasn't* straight as an arrow, he would appear to be rather high profile."

Justin thought on the other man's words. "True, true..." A faint smile touched his lips. "I wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

"Nothing, I just had a thought. Can you print this information for me?"

Minutes later, Justin was holding what he'd asked for.

"Thank you, Paul. I trust you'll be discreet about this meeting?"

"Of course."

"Very good. I'll see you soon."

"Enjoy your stay in New York."

"My friend, it just got a terrible lot more enjoyable."

The agents read the medical examiner's report together. When he was through, Fox looked over at Scully and smiled.

"Now what?"

"Mulder, this is impossible."

"Just like Chicago..." Mulder sang under his breath.

"Come on, Mulder, there's something they overlooked. There's *got* to be a discernable method..."

Fox leaned toward his partner and murmured in her ear, "Not if the method is extra terrestrial."

"Oh, for the love of..."

"Hey, we've *got* nothing else, Scully."

Scully closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I'd like to bring one of the bodies back to D.C."

"For?"

"Have another exam conducted."

"Mulder..."

"I'm going to talk to Chief Evans." Fox gathered up the reports and headed for the door. He turned to his partner and tossed her a grin. "You coming?"

Scully groaned and turned to follow him. "Oh, yeah. Right behind you."

Justin Saint James stood at the window of his room, perusing the printout on Fox Mulder for the fifth time. He closed his eyes and thought back to the club on Andros. The exquisite man with the ever changing, green-gold eyes and luscious mouth...his equally exquisite mate with the turbulent green eyes, and a disposition that was downright feral. He recalled watching them in their corner booth, Fox...unbelievably fitting name, Fox...pressed into his lover's side, basking in the glow of his loving attention. The other, Alex, he believed he heard Fox call him...fiercely protective...dangerously so, yet infinitely tender with the man at his side. They were the most beautiful thing to watch. Their devotion to each other fascinated Justin. It still did.

He opened his eyes and released a long, silent breath.

He'd like to know what that felt like. That kind of unwavering adoration.

He laughed to himself.

Didn't exist.

In fact, he'd be willing to bet that the lovely Fox had already been through another two or three men, since then. Justin had been far and seen much, and he'd never seen it fail to happen.

Love. Dies.

The brighter it burned, the faster it faded.

Unless it was bought and paid for.

Unless it was...*taught*.

"Hello?"

"What are you wearing?"

"I told you to stop calling me here. If my boyfriend finds out..."

"Fuck your boyfriend."

Alex uttered a needy moan. "I'd love to, but he isn't here."

Fox laughed softly. "How 'bout tomorrow?"

"Mmmm...you're not teasing me, are you?"

"No, we'll be home tomorrow. Bringing a body back with me."

"Interesting souvenir, Fox. A t-shirt would have been fine, really..."

"Gee, and I was trying so hard to be original...anyway, nobody here can determine what killed these people. I want to have one of them checked out by a friend of mine in Baltimore. I'll tell you all about it when I get there."

"Okay...you got your flight information?"

"Yeah. Flight sixty-one, at seven-twenty."

"A.M.?"

"No, p.m."

Mildly irritated sigh. "Figures."

"Sorry, it's the earliest one we could get."

"I'll live till then, I guess."

Fox's tone turned smoky. "You gonna save it for me?"

"You gonna make it worth my while?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yes, you do."

Brief silence, then, "It's late. I have a lot of red tape to go through yet tomorrow, before I take the body."

"Okay. Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I'll call you before we leave."

"All right. Goodnight, lisa."

"Goodnight."

Fox set the phone in the cradle and leaned back into the pillows, smiling at the thought that this time tomorrow, Alex would be next to him...or on top of him...possibly under him...he might be behind him. Hell, *wherever* he'd be, it'd feel damn good. Fox drifted into sleep with a smile on his face.

"Is the jet ready to go?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good...oh, and Frank?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Please send Lieutenant Cassidy my usual token of thanks and a note to read, 'Thank you for supplying me with the much needed information. I will not forget your kindness. JSJ.'"

"Right away, sir."

"When you've taken care of that, you may arrange to have my bags brought down."

The assistant executed a shallow bow, and exited the room.

Justin seated himself at the dining table, and read the information he had on Fox Mulder for the eighth time.

Fox paced the sidewalk outside of the terminal.

"He's never late, Scully."

Scully sat on her bag, chin resting on her fist. "There's a first time for everything, Mulder," she said blandly, suppressing a yawn.

Fox pulled out his cell phone and punched in Alex's number.

"How many times are you going to call him?"

"Until I..." Fox disconnected and shoved the phone back into his pocket. The look of relief that washed over his face, brought Scully's attention to the curb, where Alex was just pulling up.

Alex jumped out of the car and came toward them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he began immediately. "I left in plenty of time, but I got stuck in unbelievable traffic. There was a plane down on the highway..."

Scully arched an eyebrow. "A *plane*?"

"Yeah. Two seater. Wasn't pretty." He looked to his anxious partner. "Anyway, I forgot my damn phone at home, so I couldn't call you. I'm sorry, lisa, I know you must've been worried..."

Alex was cut off in mid apology by his lover's arms clamping around him, and his mouth, muffling the words.

Scully looked around nervously, but it didn't appear that anyone was watching.

Fox broke the kiss when he was damn good and ready, but refused to let go of the man in his arms. He buried his face in the side of Alex's neck, and tightened his arms around him.

Alex stroked his back and whispered into his ear, "Fox...baby...this isn't..."

Fox lifted his head and looked directly into his lover's eyes. "I don't care," he murmured softly.

Alex searched the warm, golden depths of his Fox's eyes. "Let's go home."

Fox nodded, and Alex moved away to open the trunk. Fox lifted both bags and stored them inside.

Scully dropped gratefully into the back seat, and the two men slid into their seats in the front. Alex pulled away from the curb, and called back to Scully.

"So, I hear you two brought a friend back with you."

"He's no friend of *mine*," came the salty voice from the back seat.

Fox reached over and stroked Alex's hair, saying nothing.

Alex glanced over to his lover, offering a tiny smile. Fox just continued to pet him, staring intently.

"What is it?" Alex asked softly.

Fox shook his head slowly, comforting himself with the feel of dark silk, beneath his fingers.

They rode most of the way in silence, with the exception of a few words passed between Alex and Scully. As soon as Fox had seen her safely into her apartment, he and Alex were on their way home. Alex chose to save the questions until then.

Clyde greeted them enthusiastically, then Alex let him out into the yard. When he came into the bedroom, Fox was unpacking. Alex came up behind him and slipped his arms around his waist. Fox dropped the shirt he was holding, and turned in the younger man's arms. He immediately sought Alex's mouth, kissing him as though he never would again.

Alex pulled away after long seconds, gasping for breath. "Fox....lisa....what is it? What's the matter?"

"I missed you," Fox replied, coming in for another kiss.

After a while, Alex pulled away again.. "That's not all there is to it. You've been gone much longer than this, and haven't acted this way."

"What way?"

"I don't know, you seem almost...scared."

Fox's eyes lowered to the floor. "I...I don't know...I can't explain it, Alex." He looked back up into concerned, green eyes. You weren't even that late, but...for some reason, I was scared to death."

Alex shrugged. "I would have been worried too, if the situations were reversed."

"No, Alex. Not worried. Scared out of my mind. I can't explain why. I don't know..."

Alex pulled his lover into his arms. Fox rested his head on the shoulder in front of him and let himself be stroked and comforted.

"It's all right, lisa. Whatever it is that had you so scared, you can see now, that everything's okay."

Fox tightened his fingers in the back of Alex's shirt. "I need you," he whispered into the curve of his shoulder. "Please."

Alex threaded his fingers through the golden-brown hair and lifted Fox's head. He bestowed a tender kiss on the lips he so loved, then backed Fox to the bed. They undressed each other quickly, then fell back together onto the mattress.

Alex draped himself over Fox, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of the body he never tired of. He writhed against Fox, pulling a low moan from him as their cocks rubbed together. He stifled the sound with a soft kiss.

Fox melted into the sensation, stroking his palms up and down the muscles of Alex's back. His tongue swept inside Alex's mouth, seeking its mate, stroking and teasing, then retreating to its own home, waiting to be found and coaxed into another duel.

Alex finally left Fox's mouth, noting the disappointed moan, and kissed and nipped his way south, trailing down his chin, to the sensitive skin of his throat. He opened his mouth wide, and closed his teeth on the flesh, just above the base. Fox arched upward, submitting to the sensual attack. Alex sucked lightly, growling deep in his throat. The urge to increase the pressure was great, but he kept in mind, the fact that he was in much too exposed an area to leave any marks. He released Fox's throat, and moved to his chest. The man beneath him winced and emitted a low whine as Alex's mouth covered his right nipple and a good bit of flesh surrounding it. As he sucked, his tongue grazed the sensitive peak again and again, sending jolts of electricity shooting through his Fox's body.

"Alex," Fox hummed, raking his fingers through the sable hair, leaving a riot of spikes standing on end. His lips moved, but no more intelligible sound came past them. Only soft sounds of desperation filled the air.

Alex moved from one nipple to other, inflicting the same kind of torture, then continued on down, following the sparse line of fine hairs until they began to thicken and curl. He stopped then, avoiding the rigid length of muscle dancing so temptingly before his mouth. As much as Fox writhed and moaned, he refused to touch his lover's cock.

"Come on, Alex..."

"Shhh." Alex nibbled on the inside of Fox's thigh, then let his tongue dance over his balls. He smiled to himself as the man he was teasing, groaned aloud and arched off the bed, twisting the sheets in his clenched hands. "Take it easy, lisa." Alex kissed the base of his lover's cock. "Not just yet, okay?"

"Suck me, Alex..." Fox wasn't listening. He was already too far gone for reason. He bucked against Alex's mouth. "Please."

A gentle swipe of the tongue. "But I want you to come with me."

"Then fuck me. *Now*."

Alex couldn't tease Fox anymore, and he knew it. One wrong touch, and it'd be all over.

"All right, baby, all right. Just relax." Alex lifted himself off of his lover, prompting a disapproving growl. He leaned in the direction of the nightstand, withdrew the tube of lubricant and kneeled, straddling Fox's waist. He skimmed the tube across Fox's bottom lips and smiled. "Put it on for me."

Fox snatched the tube from Alex's hand and unscrewed the cap. He squeezed some of the contents into his hand, and reached for his lover's cock, quickly stroking it on.

Alex breathed deeply, enduring Fox's touch in silence. When the task was accomplished, he bent over and took his lover's mouth in a brief but intense kiss, then stretched out over his body. Fox's legs automatically wrapped around his waist, and he guided his cock between the tight muscles of his lover's ass, to the small opening.

Difficult as it was, Fox lay still, waiting to feel the thrill of that initial thrust. He loved the sensation of being opened and stretched, full of his beautiful Alex.

Alex tucked one hand under the small of Fox's back, gripped his shoulder with the other, and pushed slowly into him. He focused on the glazed amber eyes in front of him, and began to rock gently. An almost inaudible gasp tumbled from his lover's lips, and he swooped down to capture it before it was gone.

Fox moaned into Alex's mouth, his fingers digging into his back. Involuntarily, his muscles clenched, squeezing his lover's cock in a firm grip, taking him perilously close to the edge.

"Lisa," Alex stopped moving, and rasped in his ear. "Easy, baby. Relax, or..."

"No," Fox protested, "no, *no*..." He rocked against Alex. I can't...don't stop, please don't."

"All right," Alex soothed him, kissing his cheek, then his mouth. "I won't stop..." He started to rock again, this time also wrapping his hand around Fox's cock. He began to milk it in time to his thrusts, driving his lover and himself closer to completion.

Fox's harsh groans resonated in the growing darkness of the room, as the tension coiled in the pit of his stomach, tighter and tighter, until it broke, and he drowned in the explosive pleasure.

The tightening of his lover's body around him, and his desperate cries, broke Alex's control. He let go, and came violently, pumping into his lover until he was dry.

Soft purrs of contentment filled the air, as they lay locked together for endless minutes. Finally, Alex disengaged himself, and draped himself back down over Fox's chest. A gentle hand came up to stroke the dampened strands of hair.

"Good to be home."

"Mmm-hmm." Alex kissed the curve of Fox's throat, and closed his eyes.

"I love you, Alex."

No answer.

Fox listened to the soft, steady breaths, and knew that Alex was asleep. He kissed the top of his lover's head, and tightened his arms around him. He lay there, staring into the darkness for a good long time, before finally falling asleep.

End

 

* * *

 

The Best Laid Plans  
Part Two

* * *

The Mercedes idled silently, a few yards away from Fox Mulder's home. Alert gray eyes narrowed, as the front door opened and the man he'd seen in New York, stepped out of it. The eyes widened in surprise, when the man was immediately followed by another... the same one who had been his companion on Andros.

Amazing.

How long had it been? And they were still together.

The other man. Alex. Every bit as handsome as he remembered. He recalled the turbulent green eyes and dazzling white teeth...the low rumble of his voice, as he warned Justin against getting anywhere near his lover.

He watched the two men move together to the car in the driveway, then noticed the large dog that followed close behind.

Justin wasn't much on pets...the four-legged kind anyway, but he was pretty sure that the animal was a German Shepherd. Not exactly the type breed that would stand idly by and allow its master to be taken against his will.

Mental note. Take dog into consideration and plan accordingly.

His attention came back to the man kissing the other's jaw.

Alex.

As protective as that dog. And, he bet, every bit as vicious when provoked.

One silver eyebrow arched upward.

A challenge.

But the rewards for his patience would be infinite and sweeter than he could ever imagine.

He glanced around, revising his plan in his head, when he spied a 'for sale' sign staked on the front lawn of the house next door. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then an idea came to him. A small grin curved his mouth. "Yes, yes." He watched Fox Mulder get into his car and Alex jog off down the street with the dog. "A most interesting challenge."

"So, John," Fox asked impatiently. "What do you think?"

"These incisions weren't made by any tool I recognize."

Fox nudged Scully and nodded. His partner just rolled her eyes.

John continued. "This residue I found in and around the wound...I've done every test on it I can think of, and it's completely unrecognizable."

Scully held up a hand before Fox could say a word. "All these tests prove, Mulder, is what *didn't* kill these people. The most we can get out of this is an *unsolved*."

"Come on, Scully. If they weren't killed with anything known to our science, what's left?"

"We can't exactly put that in our report."

The two lingered a while longer, speaking with Fox's friend, then left the lab.

"What time is it?"

Fox looked at his watch. "Four-twenty eight."

"By the time we get back to the office, it'll be late. What do you say we just head for home?"

"Sounds good to me."

Fox pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and dialed his home number. It rang four times, then the machine picked up. He frowned, waited for the beep, then left a brief message.

"Alex, it's me. It's four-thirty and I'm on my way home. If you get this message before I get there, call my cell."

He hung up and dropped the phone of the seat beside him.

"What's the matter?" Scully asked. "You look a little weird.

"Nothing. Just a little strange that he isn't answering at this time of day."

"God, Mulder, I never noticed before. Do you always get so wacky if Alex isn't where you think he should be?"

"No, of course not. I don't know, Scully, I can't explain this feeling I've had since yesterday."

"Feeling?"

"Yeah. Just an uneasiness that won't go away. I'll feel better once I get home."

Scully nodded, and said nothing more until Fox dropped her at her door. "Don't forget you have to pick me up in the morning."

"I know. I'll see you later."

"Tell Alex I said hi."

Fox nodded impatiently.

Scully waved him on. "Go, go."

Her partner tossed her a quick smile, and headed for home.

Justin Saint James lounged in the luxury of his hotel room, considering his newest acquisition. He smirked, recalling the look on the faces of the middle-aged couple, when he knocked on their door this afternoon, and offered them double what they were asking for their house. Cash.

The Andersons stood slack-jawed, staring at the impeccably dressed man, standing in their kitchen.

"I imagine you think I'm a tad deranged," he told them.

"Well, yeah. Now that you mentioned it," Stanley Anderson agreed. He winced as his wife elbowed him in the ribs.

Justin chuckled. "It's quite all right, Mrs. Anderson. If someone knocked on my door and offered me a quarter of a million dollars for my modest little home, I'd be suspicious, as well. But I assure you, I'm quite sane. You see, I'm a businessman. My life is extremely hectic, and my doctor told me that if I want to live to see my grandchildren grow up, I need to make a few changes in my life. I thought I could start with a change in scenery. This is a lovely little neighborhood. I think I could relax here."

Mrs. Anderson shrugged. "Well, it's not a noisy area, though there are some children around. A few dogs..."

"Ah. Yes. I noticed a large dog...a German Shepherd, when I drove through earlier. Not a nuisance, is he?"

"Oh, no. He's well behaved. And Alex is very meticulous with him. If it wasn't because we see him and hear him once in a while, we.."

"Alex?"

"Oh. Yes. Alex Krycek. He's one of the guys who live next door."

"One of *the guys*..."

"Oh...uh, yeah. He and his partner, Fox. We've never known a male couple before, but we actually like them quite a lot. They're good people. Quiet. Immaculate...no wild parties or that kind of stuff..."

Justin held his hands up. "Oh, it's all right. I have no problem with that." He smiled indulgently. "No problem whatsoever."

"So," Mr. Anderson prodded. "You're still interested?"

"Absolutely."

Justin promised the couple that they'd have the money by tomorrow, but in turn, they needed to promise to be out of the house as soon as possible. To insure that it happened, he offered a crew to help with the packing and moving. Secondly, it was to be a transaction between the two parties. The Andersons were to call the realtor and take the house off the market, immediately. As a gesture of good faith, he handed them an envelope containing ten thousand dollars. Stanley Anderson counted the money, and immediately picked up the phone and made the call.

Lovely, what a paltry few thousand can get you. By tomorrow they'll be gone, and the game can begin.

Fox pulled into the garage, next to Alex's Porsche. He unfolded himself from the driver's seat, and felt the hood of the car. Cold. His brows drew down into a frown, as he turned and exited the garage. He closed the door and went into the house. After a quick search of the house and yard, he determined that neither Alex nor Clyde was there. He walked out the front door, down to the sidewalk and looked around. A young voice sounded behind him, startling him a bit

"Hey, Mulder!"

He turned around and smiled down at ten year old Larry Mitchell. "Hey, Mitchell. Any interesting cases, today?"

"Nah, nothin'. Been boring."

Mulder nodded. "Sometimes it happens that way, Mitchell."

Ever since the little boy found out that Fox was a federal agent, he'd been fascinated with the FBI, reading everything he could about it, and often pretending that he was 'on a case'. Fox and Alex had taken to calling him 'junior G-man', and with the permission of the parents, Fox had arranged a tour of the Hoover Building for Larry and a group of his friends. As a result, the boy was now, his pal for life.

"Hey Mitchell, you haven't seen Alex, have you?"

"Nope. Somethin' up?"

"No, I was just wondering."

"Want to put out an APB?"

Fox chuckled. "I don't think that's necessary just yet."

"Okay...I'll keep an eye out for him, though."

"Thanks, Mitchell. I'll..."

Before Fox could finish his sentence, Clyde came barreling in from his right, and just about knocked him over. He greeted the dog, scratching behind his ear. Looking up, he saw Alex coming down the street toward him. He breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for his lover to reach him.

"Hi."

Alex smiled. "Hi." He looked down at the little boy. "Hey, Mitchell."

"Good thing you got back when you did. We were gonna put an APB out on you, soon."

One dark eyebrow arched upward. "Oh, really?" Alex turned amused eyes to Fox, who camouflaged a grin, and dismissed the boy.

"Okay, Mitchell. We gotta go now. See you later, okay?"

"Okay. Later, guys."

They watched the boy move off toward his house, then walked to their own front door.

"Out for a walk?"

"Yeah. Clyde has been really wound up today for some reason. I thought a long walk and a run in the park, would tire him out a little."

Fox nodded. "I tried calling to let you know I was on my way home from the lab. I couldn't imagine where you'd be."

"Well, I figured since we'd decided to have Chinese tonight, I'd have time to take him out...is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing. Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. You just look kinds of funny."

Fox shrugged and said nothing.

"Are you still feeling like you did last night?"

"Yeah." Fox made an uncomfortable face. "I guess...a little."

They walked into the house and as soon as Fox had the door closed, Alex moved forward and wrapped him in his arms.

"There must be something, lisa...something that happened to be making you feel so uneasy."

Fox shrugged and shook his head.

"Is the feeling still there?"

"Yeah, but it's not so bad. It seems worse when I'm away from you and especially if I don't know where you are, like yesterday, before you got to the airport...and today, when I called home and got no answer."

"Well....you could quit the Bureau and follow me everywhere I go," Alex smiled and kissed his lover's nose.

Fox bit into Alex's lower lip, and pulled. He released it, then ran his tongue across it. "You're a funny guy. Let's order dinner. I'm starving."

"Justin. It's Paul."

"Yes, Paul. Have you got anything for me?"

"A little. This Krycek guy is *not* an easy man to get information on."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm really not sure. I mean, I got the usual stuff. Height weight, place of residence, blah, blah, blah...I couldn't find any place of employment though, so I started thinking about how he and Fox Mulder may have met, and I figured, where do most people meet? At work, right? So just for the hell of it, I checked back with the FBI database, and found that Alex Krycek *was* a fibbie."

"*Was*?"

"Yeah, *was*. As in, isn't any more."

"He quit?"

"I don't know. His service record is sealed. And Justin, before you say it, I may be good, but I'm not *that* good. There's no way for me to *unseal* it."

"Hmm. Interesting. Is that all you've got?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you more. I'll fax over this information, right away."

"No, that's fine, Paul. I thank you very much."

"You're welcome. Good night, Justin."

Justin terminated the connection, and waited for the fax. It came seconds later. He ripped the single page from the machine and read the information he'd just been given.

"Not only beautiful, but mysterious as well. Oh, this just gets better and better."

"Hey, babe." Fox kissed Alex and dropped onto the sofa.

Alex smiled up at the other man, from the computer. "Hi. How do you feel, today?"

"Not bad." He changed the subject. "How was your day?"

"Okay...hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"The Andersons are gone."

"Huh?"

"Yep. A big moving truck came early this morning, and by noon, they were gone."

"I didn't even know they'd sold the house."

"Me either. I saw Stanley outside, and asked him about it. He said that some business man came yesterday and made them an offer they couldn't refuse."

Fox grinned. "Sounds like a Mafia movie."

Alex shrugged. "It's exactly what Stanley said, though. Anyway, the man needed the house right away, and he paid for the movers and everything."

"Hmm."

"They told me to say goodbye to you."

"So, have you seen our new neighbor yet?"

"No, I haven't seen anyone over there, since noon."

Fox sat in silence for a few moments, then rose from the sofa. "I'm going to go change."

"Okay, I'll finish paying these few bills, then we can have dinner?"

Fox dropped a kiss on his lover's head. "Sure."

Justin's assistant entered the room and waited patiently, while his employer spoke on the telephone.

"Yes, Lester. I think twenty by twenty will do...yes, I know it's an odd request, just do it..." Justin looked up, taking notice of the man hovering just inside the doorway. "One moment, Lester. Yes, Frank?"

"The car is ready sir, anytime you want to leave."

"Thank you, Frank. I'll finish this call, then I'll be leaving."

Frank bowed his head an exited the room, leaving Justin to his call.

"All right, Lester. Yes. I want them on it as soon as possible. A week. In less time would be splendid, but certainly no longer. Right. The room in the northeast corner. I'll call you tomorrow morning. All right. Goodbye."

Justin dropped the phone into the cradle, and left the room, humming.

"Really strange isn't it, how the Anderson's just picked up and left like that?" Alex asked his lover, walking in from the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his hair.

Fox looked up from the case file he'd been sitting by the windows, reading. The light from the lamp beside the armless chair, glinted off of his glasses, making his eyes nearly invisible to Alex.

"Hell, if some guy offered us double what this joint is worth, and one of his stipulations was that we move a.s.a.p., *you* wouldn't be in a rush to get the hell out?"

Alex displayed an almost hurt look. "You'd want to sell our house...just like that?"

"No. I was just...it was just a general question..."

"I wouldn't want to sell this house. Not for *triple* what we paid for it. It's *our* home."

Fox removed his glasses and set them down on the nearest windowsill. "I know, babe. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way...ah, hell." He reached out with one hand. "C'mere."

Alex hesitated, sulking.

Fox looked at him and smiled.

Let the games begin.

"Alexei..."

"*What*?"

"I didn't mean that I'd want to sell our house. It means as much to me as it does to you."

Alex drew designs on the bedpost with one finger. "Didn't sound like it."

"I'm sorry, baby. Really, I am. Come over here. Please?"

Alex dropped the towel down at the foot of the bed and walked slowly over to where Fox sat. The older man reached up and caressed his bare arm. "I love you..."

Alex quirked one corner of his mouth and cast a sideways glance down at his lover.

Fox's hand skimmed up and down the arm a couple of times, then moved downward, to the cotton covered thigh. His hand slid down over Alex's boxer-briefs, then back up, under the hem, stroking more bare skin. He smiled at the soft intake of breath. "You're right," he said softly. "This is our home." His hand moved higher, until it was parallel with Alex's crotch. "No amount of money in the world could make me want to give it up." The motion of his hand, combined with the seductive tone of his voice, put Alex in an almost trance-like state. The younger man stood quietly, looking down at Fox, through a thick veil of sable lashes. Fox smiled up at him, and moved his hand over, a fraction to the left. Alex sucked in a shallow breath, and let it out slowly.

Fox maintained eye contact, as his hand wandered over the slightly damp, warmth of Alex's cock. He stroked it, over and over, feeling it come to life, in his palm.

Alex emitted a long, stuttering sigh, and closed his eyes.

"Still upset with me?"

Slow shake of the sable head.

Alex heard the soft click, and the reddish-blackness that he saw before his closed eye lids, went dark. The hand gently fondled him for a few seconds more, then released him.

Fox shushed the soft groan of protest, then pulled Alex's shorts down and off. He spread his legs, and directed Alex to stand between them. The younger man's hands automatically went to his hair, as he leaned forward, and kissed the tip of his now, full-blown erection...

Justin stood in the second story window of his empty house, playing with his new night-vision binoculars. Amazing how they just turned pitch blackness to day. His head pivoted this way and that, focusing in on Fox and Alex's yard....the lawn furniture...the garden pond...the gas grill...

How sweetly domestic.

He raised his head, and stopped, dead still.

What's this? Ohhhh, my. My, my, my, my.

Justin watched, utterly entranced, the scene in the darkened room of the house next door.

Fox Mulder. Sitting, with a very naked, very aroused Alex Krycek, standing between his legs. The seated man leaned forward, kissed his lover's cock, then ran the tip of his tongue up the length of it. The recipient of his attention stood, eyes closed, head thrown back, completely enraptured.

Justin stood frozen, hands tightening on the binoculars.

Too beautiful.

He moaned softly, as Fox Mulder opened his mouth and swallowed his lover's cock to the base. His attention quickly focused on the other man's face, not wanting to miss the look of sheer bliss that washed over his dark features. He was saying something. Some words were tumbling from his lips, between the obvious pants and gasps. Justin wished he could hear. God, how he wished he could hear. But unfortunately, he had to settle on using his imagination.

From the little bit he'd seen of Alex Krycek those two nights in that club, he imagined that the man would be a very intense lover, and the words now streaming from his lips, would be fairly harsh and demanding, and liberally peppered with curses. Yes, Alex Krycek was definitely a top...

He smiled and waited. Waited for Alex to turn it around. When Fox pulled away and rose to his feet, he held his breath, positive that Alex would now take control. His hands shook in anticipation. When his lover moved behind him and pushed him to his knees in front of the chair, Justin's brows drew down into a confused frown. He continued to watch, as Fox made Alex rest his upper body on the chair and wait while he undressed. When all of his clothes lay in a pile, Fox got to his knees behind his motionless lover, and caressed the length of his back with both hands. He lowered his head and followed his hands with his mouth, kissing and licking. When he made it up to Alex's neck, he rose to his feet and walked over to the nightstand beside the bed. Within seconds, he was back, squeezing the contents of a small tube into his hand.

Justin wet his bottom lip as he watched the man who was still standing, grasp his cock, and slide his hand up and down, along its length. He once again sank to his knees, and stroked the sides of Alex's thighs, up to his hips, then over the taut muscles of his ass. His hands lovingly caressed his lover's ass for a brief moment, then separated the cheeks, and lowered his face between them. Justin's knuckles went white and a soft gasp escaped his throat, as he saw Alex's body jerk violently, in response. It wasn't long at all before Fox withdrew and moved closer, pressing his groin against his lover's ass. He rocked slowly, obviously teasing Alex. The younger man arched backward and his mouth fell open. Fox wrapped his arm around Alex's heaving chest, and grasped his cock by the base, working it into the trembling man's ass. He kissed Alex's shoulder, then pushed him back down to the seat cushion. He grasped his lover's hips, and pushed forward, as far as he could go. Justin saw his eyes close and his head tip at a slight backward angle, as he established a moderate rhythm. He couldn't see Alex's face. It was turned away from the windows, but his body communicated his excitement as well as any facial expression could. It jerked backward every time Fox surged forward, dictating the ever-quickening pace.

Justin's respiration increased as he sensed Fox's coming explosion. The older man's hands tightened on Alex's hips, and he moved faster, now slamming into him. His teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut as he continued to plunge deeply into his lover's heat. Suddenly he began to shudder uncontrollably. His head fell back, and his mouth opened on what Justin felt sure, was a bone-jarring scream. When he finished, he slumped forward, resting his upper body on top of Alex's back.

Justin continued to watch, hands shaking. This couldn't be all. Alex hadn't come yet, and he didn't believe that there was any way in hell that situation would remain unresolved. A number of seconds later, Fox Mulder pulled himself up. His chest rose and fell as he took long, slow breaths.

Alex rose as well, and as Fox draped an arm across his chest, he reached behind and plunged his fingers into the other man's hair. He held tightly, and said something to Fox, past gritted teeth. His lover drew back, allowing him to pull himself up. He grabbed some clothing from the floor, threw it down on the chair, Justin assumed, so the seat would not be stained, then dropped down onto the pile. He said something to Fox, who crept forward, kissing and licking his thighs. The dark head pressed into the back of the chair, and one hand went down to the golden-brown silk moving steadily up toward his crotch. His fingers clenched in Fox's hair, and he pulled his head up and over his cock. He said something else, and Fox's mouth opened, allowing his tongue to slither over the blunt head of his cock. Alex's head rolled back and forth, and his hips began to jerk upward, looking to bury his cock deeper into the moist warmth of Fox's mouth.

"Make him take it, Alex," Justin whispered breathlessly. "Give it to him. Look at the way he's squirming, even after he just finished coming inside you. He wants it so much." He concentrated on the man who was now sucking voraciously on Alex's cock. "You're insatiable, aren't you, lovely Fox? The deeper he is down your throat, the better you like it, don't you? Oh yes," Justin hissed, "you do love it..."

Alex's hips lurched up off the chair in an erratic rhythm, pumping his cock into his lover's eager mouth, until he erupted, looking as though he was making every bit as much noise as Fox had.

The kneeling man remained as he was, sucking and swallowing, until Alex slumped into a boneless heap in the chair. He then released his lover's exhausted cock, and gently licked it clean.

Alex smiled weakly, as Fox lifted his head and said something to him. He raised a hand to the other man's cheek, and rubbed at the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Fox grasped the hand, pressing a kiss into the palm, then rose to his feet, displaying a half-hard erection. He pulled Alex up after him, and after embracing and nuzzling each other for a bit, Alex wrapped his hand around his lover's cock, and led him into what looked like the bathroom.

Justin lowered the glasses and breathed deeply.

These two.

How wonderfully entertaining they would both be.

But as sweet as that thought was, it was an impossibility. He would just have to settle for the one.

The two men exited the bathroom, and fell into bed together. Fox snuggled up against Alex, draping a leg and an arm over him. Alex dropped a number of kisses in his hair, then both drifted into a deep sleep.

Hours later, Fox awoke, startled. The warmth of the body wrapped around him, calmed the pounding of his heart, but the uneasiness remained. He turned to face his lover, and pulled him into his arms. Alex stirred and moaned softly.

"Hmm? What?"

"Nothing," Fox whispered into his hair. "Go back to sleep."

Alex lapsed back into unconsciousness, while his lover stroked his hair, and stared into the darkness.

"Lester....Lester, I don't want to hear that....two weeks is unacceptable....then get more men on it...I don't care how many, just get it done. In fact Lester, I'm just a bit more impatient this morning than I was last night. I want it done by Wednesday....there's that word again. I really dislike that word.....that's better. I'll check in with you tomorrow. Right."

Justin hung up, and reviewed his plan over breakfast. He smiled, thinking months ahead, to the all the envious looks he was sure to encounter, when he turned up at parties with his new companion on his arm. As young and good-looking as Matthew was, he didn't radiate sensuality like this one did.

He breathed deeply, thinking about the time when he'd be tame enough to bring into his bed. The idea of touching that young, strong body...the two of them doing the things he'd seen him do with his soon-to-be former mate, last night...

Justin shook off the thought.

One thing at a time, old man. He's a long way from that. You're going to have to call up patience you never dreamed you had, for this one. He will not be easy by *any* means. Kindess combined with the right amount of discipline, and someday, he'll come to realize that he was meant to be yours.

"Oh, shit."

Fox pulled three mint green undershirts out of the washer, then dug through the rest of the formerly white laundry, and yanked one of their new forest green bathtowels out of the bottom of the tub.

"Shit, shit."

"What are you doing?"

Fox dropped the towel back into the washer and his head jerked up. "Uh...laundry...did you find the saw blade you wanted?"

"Yeah...four hardware stores later...did you remember to wash those new towels by themselves?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did. But um...I guess I missed one when I took them out."

One dark eyebrow arched. "Oh? So what happened?"

"You like green, don't you?"

"Yeah, that's why I bought green towels."

"How about green underwear?"

"Only when it's already green when I *buy* it...did you turn my white stuff green?"

"*Mine* too..."

"How much?"

"I'd say about half of all the whites we own."

Alex let out a long sigh. "Well, I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow while you're at work."

Fox approached and laid a brief kiss on his lover's mouth. "You were looking for something to do anyway, weren't you?"

"Oh, yeah." Alex came back with another quick kiss. "Why don't you get rid of this stuff, and I'll go get the steaks on the grill."

"You mean you don't want to keep any of it?"

"Uh...no."

"Not even *one* t-shirt? It kinda goes nice with your eyes...hey!"

Alex started out of the room, then backed up. He brought his hand back up to his lover's ass, rubbing gently, where he'd just inflicted a hard smack. "That hurt?"

"It didn't tickle."

Alex bit at the skin just below Fox's ear, then licked it. "I'll kiss it better for you, later."

Fox moaned under his breath. "Damn right, you will."

A little more than an hour later, they were sitting down to dinner in the backyard. Clyde lay in the space between their chairs, looking hopefully from one of his masters, to the other. The two men made conversation, trying to ignore the dog's pathetic stares.

"So you're sending the body back tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I can't come up with conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial involvement, so we've got to stamp it unsolved, just like Scully said we would. Ticks me off. I mean, no one can figure out what made those incisions. What *else* could it be?"

Alex shook his head while he popped a slice of his own steak into his lover's mouth. "I don't know, babe. You know *I* believe you, but unfortunately, that does you no good."

Fox chewed and swallowed. "I know. I just..." He stopped in mid sentence and both men looked down at the dog, who had since risen to a sitting position, and was sounding a low, whining growl.

"What the heck's the matter with him?" Fox asked, knowing that Alex was a little more in tune to Clyde's moods than he was.

Alex shrugged. "Something's got his attention." He looked over in the direction of the house they'd yet to see anyone move in to. "I don't see anything, do you?"

Fox scanned what he could see of the property. "No...what's up, Clyde?"

The dog looked up, hearing his name, and took the opportunity to swipe at Fox's face with his tongue. He settled down again between Fox and Alex, his previous interest in whatever he'd seen next door, forgotten.

"Must've been a cat or a rabbit or something," Fox reasoned, still looking around.

"Guess so." Alex drew his lover's attention back, with a hand on his arm. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Your ass still hurt?"

Fox broke into laughter. "What made you think of that?"

"Doesn't happen very often that I'm *not* thinking about your ass."

Fox shook with silent giggles. "Okay, so that was a stupid question. Umm, yeah. It's still a little sore. You gonna keep your promise?"

Alex gave him a devious grin. "As soon as it gets dark."

"Why when it...." Then he understood. "Nice warm night, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh."

Justin Saint James stood a safe distance from the window, watching the two having dinner, below. He had been standing closer, but at one point he accidentally dropped his binoculars, and the blasted dog heard, calling his master's attention to the direction of the house. He stepped away quickly and was not discovered, thankfully.

No thanks to *you*, you hairy beast...

The dishes were cleared away and stacked in the dishwasher, and the dog was inside. Alex grabbed a blanket and lead his Fox back into the yard. He spread the blanket on the ground and sat, pulling his lover down with him. Simultaneously, they lay on their backs, content, for a while anyway, with looking up into the dusky sky.

Fox closed his eyes, listening to the fading twitter of the birds, as they made their way home to settle in for the night. As the other day sounds dissipated, the gurgle of the fountain in the garden pond became more prevalent. A soft smile curved Fox's mouth.

"Talk to me Alex, or the sound of that water is going to put me right out."

Alex turned sideways, propped his head up in his hand, and stared down at the man on his back. "What do you want me to talk to you about?"

"I don't know. Pick a topic."

"Okay." Alex nuzzled Fox's throat. "Let me tell you how completely gorgeous you are right now, with all these night shadows falling across your face."

"Cut it out."

"You said to pick a topic, so I chose my favorite."

"I'm not a chick you know, you don't have to tell me this stuff."

"Yes my love, I'm very well aware of that. The fact of the matter *is*, I love telling you how beautiful you are."

Fox opened his eyes and looked up in an ocean of sincerest green. Alex gazed down at him, unsmiling. He traced a line down the side of Fox's face with his knuckles, then across his mouth, with the tips of two fingers. "I never get tired of looking at you. And I'm still amazed sometimes when I do, that you're looking back at me...and loving me."

Fox's eyes sparkled in the little remaining light. "Do you realize it's been almost three years?"

"Give me a couple of seconds, and I can tell you exactly how long, right down to the minute."

Fox laughed softly. "In some respects, it doesn't seem that long, but in others, it seems like a lifetime. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I mean...a lifetime in the sense that, I can hardly remember the animosity and the violence." Fox reached up and raked the fingers of one hand through Alex's hair. "It seems like I've always loved you."

Alex nodded. Their eyes met and held for a number of seconds, then he broke contact, and looked up at the sky. "It's dark, now," he said softly.

"So it is," came the equally soft response.

Alex returned his attention to Fox, who was staring up at him, a mixture of love and lust gleaming in his dark eyes. He brushed his lips back and forth across his lover's with all deliberate tenderness, then raised his head far enough to see his eyes. They'd grown darker still, appearing almost black in the scarce light of the half moon.

Fox reached up, cupping the back of Alex's neck, and pulled him down for another teasing kiss. His tongue danced across the soft surface of the younger man's lower lip, then he drew it into his mouth, sucking gently.

Alex groaned softly, and opened his mouth, inviting his lover inside.

Fox's tongue slithered along the inside edge of Alex's top lip, then the bottom, fluttering into the dark interior, only to quickly withdraw when touched by its mate.

Alex played the game, allowing himself to be taunted...feeling his heart beat a little faster with every unfulfilled promise. One of his hands that had until now, been resting patiently on Fox's thigh, began to flex gently. His increasingly unsteady breaths moved toward erratic, when Fox's free hand joined the other at his head, and pulled him down into a full, passionate kiss. His surprised moan vibrated inside of his lover's mouth, prompting a soft, throaty answer.

The kiss continued with only fleeting intermissions, as one of Fox's hands left Alex's head to shift down to the middle of his back. He gathered a fistful of material and pulled, working it loose from the waistband of the other man's jeans. Ever helpful, Alex wiggled free of the black cotton, and watched it sail over his head. He had only enough time for a quick grin, before he was pulled back to Fox's hungry mouth. The now bare skin of his back and arms tingled and burned everywhere those beautifully skilled hands touched him. Unable to wait for Fox to decide that the pants had to go, Alex took the initiative, undoing the top button, then starting to work the zipper down.

Fox broke the kiss, and looked down to see what his lover was up to. "Can't wait for me to do it?" he teased, softly.

"No. And after I'm done, you're next."

Alex kicked his sneakers off, then peeled his jeans and underwear away. He allowed Fox an appreciative glance, before going to work on him, efficiently stripping off every scrap of clothing. Within seconds, the older man was completely naked, squirming under the heated gaze of his lover.

"Much better," Alex whispered, then lifted his body, and settled it down on top of Fox. "Mmmm..." He writhed against the hardness under him. "Much, *much* better."

Fox hooked a long leg over Alex's hip, and pushed up against him, pressing their cocks together.

Alex sucked in a hard breath. "Careful, now."

Fox gave him a purely evil smile, then repeated the action. "Why? Can't take it?"

Strong, white teeth gritted. "I can take it..." He reached between them, grasping Fox's nipple, and giving a not-so-gentle tug. He smiled at the gasp it brought. "And you know I can dish it out."

"I know." Fox's throat arched, presenting a much too tempting target for his lover's teeth. His mouth fell open on a long, whimpering moan.

Alex finished nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin, then moved on. Fox's head rolled to one side, and his body relaxed, surrendering to the sweet caress of his lover's mouth. Alex moved slowly, savoring the taste of his Fox, traveling the same swells and hollows he'd traveled thousands of times before, yet never grew weary of. Never wished for anything different or new. This was his own private slice of heaven, and he'd be thankful every day of his life for it.

Fox's body tensed just a bit, and he inhaled audibly, as Alex's tongue flicked over the nipple he'd previously been tugging at. His lips covered the hard peak and sucked gingerly, while he skimmed over the other nipple again and again, with his palm.

"Mmmmmmph....Alex....." Fox's respiration grew heavy, and his hips rolled upward, rubbing his rock-hard erection again Alex's stomach.

Alex lifted his head and shook it at his impatient Fox. "Don't do that."

"But..."

"Not yet, lisa. I'm not through with you."

The sable head dipped back down, this time switching to the other nipple.

"*Christ*..."

Alex's teeth closed around the tight bud and pulled gently, loving the sound of Fox's desperate whimpers. Fox groaned through gritted teeth and arched toward Alex's mouth, trying to relieve some of the tension, but Alex backed away, nipple still between his teeth. He gave a little shake of his head, sending a shiver of painful pleasure coursing through Fox's body. Satisfied with the choked sobs that now broke from his lover's lips, Alex finally released him and moved on, slowly licking his way over the flexing muscles of Fox's abdomen.

The air rang out with Fox's frustrated groans as Alex made it down to his swollen cock, and flicked at the glistening tip with his tongue.

"Take it..." he begged, arching up toward Alex's mouth. "Please, baby, don't tease me."

"You like it when I tease you," Alex mumbled against the smooth shaft.

"Yeah but, I can't...I...shit!" Fox bucked against Alex's mouth, as the younger man sucked him in halfway. His tongue fluttered against the velvety underside as he drew up toward the head, then away. The cool night air hit the moist surface, and Fox sucked in a sharp breath. "Alex," he whined, reaching out for his lover. "For Christ's sake, I'm begging you..."

Alex nuzzled his lover's cock, lapping at the ridge just below the head. "It drives me crazy when you beg. Go on," he demanded softly, "beg me."

"Please...please, Alex. I need you so much." Fox writhed against him. "Don't make me wait any more. I can't wait..."

"Mmmm...so fucking pretty...all right, lisa." He reached for his discarded pants, and pulled out the lube he'd placed in the pocket, earlier. "You want to put it on for me?"

Fox nodded silently, and Alex crawled forward until he was straddling his lover's chest.

Fox's respiration quickened, having Alex's cock so close. His tongue inched out, absently licking his lower lip, as he watched it twitch and bob before his eyes.

Alex noticed his expression and smiled. "What, baby? You want it?"

The older man nodded again, now gasping for breath.

Alex moved up a bit further. "Here you go, love." He supported Fox's head and allowed him to take his cock into his mouth. His eyes slipped closed, and he began to pant softly. "Ohhhh, yeah. God, baby, you're so good..."

Fox sucked hungrily at his lover's cock, working it just the way he knew would drive Alex insane.

The younger man clenched his teeth, fighting to keep from crying out. He needed to pull away, and do it now, or it would be too late...

"Lisa," he gasped, "let go. Stop, baby....stop..." He wrenched himself away, falling back away from Fox's chest.

"No, Alex. Let me. Please, baby." Fox grasped at Alex's wrist, trying to pull him back.

"No...no. I want to come in your ass..." He bent over Fox, handing him the tube. "Then you can come in mine."

Fox's eyes dilated to near blackness as he considered the thought, then snatched the tube from Alex's hand. He quickly squeezed out a measure of the contents, and applied it. Alex breathed deeply, keeping himself under tight control, until Fox completed his task. The moment he was done, Alex leapt on him, pulling him into position. He guided his cock to the tight opening, and then he surged forward, burying himself in his lover's heat with one hard stroke. He covered Fox's mouth with his hand, to stifle the cries that he knew would surely come.

"Shhh," was the only warning he could utter, as he immediately established a driving rhythm.

Fox whimpered into the hand clamped over his mouth, the sound cut short, every time Alex's body slammed up against his. His hands twisted in the blanket, and his eyes squeezed shut, but it was impossible to block out the devastating sensations of Alex's cock hitting his prostate, time and again. That, combined with the slight pressure of his lover's body brushing his own throbbing erection, was enough to take him over the edge.

He screamed into Alex's hand, arching violently off the blanket. His muscles convulsed, squeezing Alex's cock, and taking him along into the darkness.

Alex buried his face in the curve of Fox's shoulder, to muffle his own screams. His body shuddered deeply, then collapsed.

The two men lay together, severely weakened and too exhausted to move.

"Jesus Christ," Alex moaned into Fox's shoulder.

"Sorry," Fox panted into his hair.

"What for?"

"I couldn't hold it. I had to come."

Alex lifted his head and smiled weakly. "It's okay. You'll just owe me one."

"Just one?"

"We'll discuss it."

Alex pulled gently out of his lover, then dropped his head back to his shoulder. Fox draped his arms around Alex's back, then closed his eyes. Before either man knew it, they were both asleep.

"Bravo." Justin lowered the binoculars to his chest and clapped softly. "Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Oh, my darling. I cannot *wait* to get you home..."

"Hey, Mulder."

"Hey, Mitchell."

"Going to work?"

"Yeah. You're up and out early, aren't ya?"

"Yeah, I'm on a stakeout."

Fox stifled a chuckle. "Stakeout, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What are you staking out?"

Mitchell motioned to the house next door, with a quick twitch of his head. "I think your new neighbor is up to somethin'."

"What new neighbor? We haven't seen anybody yet."

The boy moved closer, speaking softly. "That cause he's only there at night. Or at least I *think* he is."

Fox grinned. "Ohhh. And how do you know that?"

"I watch from my house," he whispered, nodding toward the white colonial across the street. "My bedroom faces the street. He comes at night. Get's dropped off down the street, and walks to the house, so nobody'll hear a car."

"Hmm. So, uh....what d'you think he's up to?"

"Not sure. I'll keep up surveillance and let you know."

"Okay." Fox patted the boy on the shoulder. "You do that."

"I'll check in with you later."

"Good man. See ya, Mitchell."

Fox walked grinning to his car, and drove away.

"What do you mean it's not going as well as you'd hoped?"

"It's just not, sir. I'm sorry. We'd run into a few glitches with the plumbing and..."

"Lester, are you trying to tell me that this project will not be finished by Thursday?"

"It's looking more and more unlikely, sir."

"*Un*acceptable."

"I don't know what else to do, Mr. Saint James. The crew is working fifteen hour days. They worked all weekend. They're exhausted..."

"Get a second crew. Work them in two twelve hour shifts."

"Mr. Saint James, do you realize what this little project of yours is going to end up costing? The figures are already astronomical."

"Cost is the least of my concerns. Get on it. You have precious little time left."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Are the other arrangements made?"

"Yes sir, they'll be there tonight."

"Very good. Now. Back to work. You're wasting valuable time."

Soft sigh. "Yes, sir."

Justin hung up and paced the considerable length of the room.

This *will* happen. And it will happen *exactly* the way I've planned it. Everything does...

"Hi, babe."

"Hi."

"Want to go out for dinner, tonight with Scully?"

"Uh...sure. What are *you* going to be doing?"

"I meant you *me* and Scully."

"Oh."

"Don't sound so disappointed."

"I just thought I was finally going to get my big chance to make a move on her."

"Kiss my ass."

Alex laughed into the phone. "Is that a request?"

"You want to, or not?"

"What time?"

"Six o'clock at Endicott's?"

"Okay, I'll meet you there...oh, by the way, I got your damn underwear."

"Thanks."

"Hope you like it..."

"What do you....Alex, what did you do?"

"Relax, I got the whites...I just picked up a few little extras, that's all..."

"Extras?"

"Yeah, you'll like em."

"What if I don't?"

"Who gives a shit? *I* like em..."

"Good*bye*, Alex."

Alex grinned into the phone. "Bye." He hung up and pulled one of the *extras* out of the bag. He held the black fishnet thong up, and chuckled. "Oh, yeah. *I* like it..."

"Sir, the men are here."

Justin rose from the sofa and watched the three men enter the room.

"Come in gentlemen. Have a seat."

As soon as everyone was seated, he began. "You all know why you're here. I've paid you very well to insure your utmost discretion in this matter. You've been briefed already, but please indulge me while I go over the plan once more. I need to stress to you how important timing is. You'll get one chance at this, and you must be precise. The target must be taken by complete surprise, or it will be infinitely more difficult to acquire him. Naturally, we want as little disruption as possible, so if you can catch him outside of but close to the home, it would be better. In fact, it's probably necessary. They've got a large dog. You'll have to catch him when the dog isn't around. If you find it impossible to do so, do what you must to get the animal out of the way. Now..I've procured a house next door. You'll be transported there tonight and will spend this evening, and all day and night tomorrow, watching his comings and goings. Thursday, you will take him when the time is right. Your cover is all set, and the house is stocked with everything you'll need for a couple of days. Are there any questions?"

The men looked from one to another. One of them cleared his throat. "What if on Thursday, we don't find a window of opportunity to take him?"

"You gentlemen are the experts. *Create* one. But do not fail. Failure is not an option. Is that understood?"

The three men nodded.

"Very good. You're dismissed until nine o'clock."

"God, I'm starved."

"After all that stuff you had for lunch?"

"I didn't eat *that* much."

"Oh, *no*. A pastrami sandwich that *I'd* have a hard time getting my hands around, a salad, two cups of coffee, and a brownie. Not too much..."

"Shut up, Mulder."

Scully's partner unlocked the car doors and frowned at the small package he saw sitting on the front seat.

"Wait a second, Scully. Don't get in." He carefully opened the door, and detached the card that was taped to the box.

"What the hell is it, Mulder?"

A wide grin spread across Fox's face, and he shook his head.

"I guess it's not a bomb or anything."

The two got into the car, and Fox opened the box, peeking inside. "Oh, shit."

"Dare I ask?"

"Uh...you probably don't want to know."

"Must be something kinky."

Fox muttered to himself as he recovered the box. "You're killin' me, Alex. Uh...I'll be right back, okay Scully?"

"Where the hell are you going?"

"Two minutes. I'll be back in two minutes." Fox took the box, and exited the car, heading for the nearest bathroom.

Fortunately, the men's room on the first floor was virtually deserted, except for one person who was just washing his hands as Fox came in. He nodded politely to the other man, then walked into a stall. He opened the box, pulling the black, extremely skimpy fishnet thong from the white paper. "Where the hell did you find *this*?" he whispered to himself. He struggled in the narrow stall, to get his pants and underwear off, once losing his balance and thumping against the door. Luckily, the only other occupant of the men's room had left a moment before. Fox regained his balance, and pulled the thong on. He looked down at himself, his already hardening cock and balls, very visible through the silky netting.

"Christ."

He threw his previously worn underwear into the box, then finished dressing.

Scully eyed her partner suspiciously as he got back into the car.

"Okay, let's go."

"Mulder, what did you go do?"

"You really don't want to know."

Fox started the car, and they headed off to the restaurant.

Alex looked at his watch, then around the restaurant. It was only fifteen minutes after six, but he found himself starting to wonder if he hadn't been stood up. Just as his eyes were sweeping the room for a second time, he caught sight of the beautiful man who had just entered the restaurant. Golden-brown hair tousled by the early summer breeze, tie loosely hanging from his neck...those lips...rosy pink, and twisted into one of those magnificent, patented Mulder-pouts. A tiny smile touched Alex's lips.

Mine, mine, mine, mine...

The diminutive redhead who was with him, saw Alex first. She waved, and tugged on her partner's arm, pointing toward the back of the restaurant.

Their eyes connected and held, as the two new arrivals made their way through the maze of tables. Alex stood, waiting patiently for Fox to reach him. When he did, they stood toe to toe, exchanging sly grins.

"Hi honey, how was your day?" Alex asked softly.

"Interesting."

"Oh?"

"Found a little package on the front seat of my car, just before I left work."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? What was in it?"

"I'll just say two things...first, you're one sick bastard."

Alex smirked at the compliment. "You said there were two things."

Fox nodded. "Number two....I'm wearing it."

Silent chuckle. "How's it feel?"

"I could get used to it."

"I knew it was you as soon as I saw it..."

"Uh....hello!"

Both men turned in the direction of the mildly irritated voice. Scully was already sitting at the table, menu in her hands, glaring at them.

"Could you two finish teasing each other *after* we order? I'd like to eat sometime tonight."

The two men seated themselves, and picked up their menus.

"What looks good?" Fox asked his lover, perusing the menu.

"Well..." Alex shielded his face with the menu, blatantly staring at his lover's crotch, licking his lips."

Fox tossed his head back and closed his eyes for a brief moment, before showing his menu to Alex, and tapping at it with one finger.

"Oh. Uh...I don't know. The stuffed manicotti, I guess."

"You didn't even *look* at the menu," Scully piped up.

"Sure, I did. I was here for about fifteen minutes before you two showed up. I've got it memorized, front to back."

"Well, *we* don't, so leave Mulder alone, so he can order!"

"Jeez, Scully, you sure get cranky when you're hungry."

"And you just noticed this? You!" She snapped her head in the direction of the soft snicker. "Read that menu! If you're not ready by the time the server gets here, I'm ordering without you."

"You heard what she said, Alex," Fox repeated, feeling his lover's leg pressing against his. "Leave me alone!"

"I'm not doing anything..."

"Yes, you are...yes he is," he mock-complained to Scully, who was already about at the end of her rope with them.

"Am I going to have to separate you two? You know, I don't know why I do this to myself."

"Do what?" her partner asked, a touch of indignance seeping into his tone.

"*This*. Go *out* with you two. You *never* behave yourselves."

"We're not doing anything," Alex objected, "...much..."

"Just....let's order dinner, okay?"

Scully turned to the server, who had just come to stand beside her. She ordered her meal, followed by Alex, then Fox. While they waited, Alex and Fox did their best to keep the taunts to a minimum, and actually settled into a conversation with Scully.

"So, I heard that you and your mother are going to California next week," Alex said after a sip of water.

"Yeah. It's been a while since we've seen my brother. He's been asking for us to come out for months, now."

"It'll be nice for you to get away for a while."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Mulder, don't forget you're taking me to the airport on Monday morning."

"I know, I know, eight thirty-five."

Fox's eyes flicked to his left, feeling Alex's eyes on him. His brows drew down into a frown and he nodded once at the younger man, as if to ask, "What?"

Alex only continued to stare, a tiny smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Fox felt his cock stir within the confines of the fishnet. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. It did no good. The heat of Alex's stare burned right past his closed lids. "Umm...s'cuse me for a second, I gotta go wash my hands." Fox rose from the table, giving Alex a quick glare, then went off toward the men's room.

Alex shook with restrained laughter.

"What the hell are you doing to him?"

"Nothing! Did you *see* me do anything?"

"No, but that doesn't mean you didn't."

Alex smiled and shook his head. "Listen, I'm going to go wash my hands, too. I was petting Clyde just before I left the house, so..."

Scully turned a narrowed gaze on him. "Uh-huh."

Alex gave her a dazzling grin. "Be right back."

He left the table and wandered into the bathroom, where Fox was just drying his hands.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I needed to wash my hands too."

"Right."

"*Really*! Why does everybody think I've always got some ulterior motive?"

"Because you usually do."

Alex snorted and turned on the tap. As Fox turned to leave, he asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

"Back to the table."

"You can't wait for me?"

Fox sighed and leaned against the wall.

Alex smiled and squirted some liquid soap into his hands. "So...you like your present?"

"Yeah, I've always wanted to walk around with a piece of string stuck up my ass."

"Can I see it?"

"What? *Now*?"

"Yeah. Nobody's here."

"It's a public restroom, Alex. Somebody could walk in."

"So, lets go in the stall."

"Al-ex..."

"What?"

"Scully's waiting."

"It'll take two seconds."

Fox leaned his head back against the wall. "Why do I let you do this to me?"

Alex grinned, and grabbed Fox by the wrist. He pulled him into a stall and locked the door.

"Alex, this is the handicapped stall."

"I know, it's bigger."

"We shouldn't be in here."

"Oh, for God's sake, shut up and drop your pants."

Fox mumbled soft, unintelligible words, as he unbuttoned, unzipped, then dropped his pants. He watched the green in Alex's eyes all but disappear, and he knew he was in trouble. "Okay. Seen enough?" He started to pull his pants back up, but a hand on his arm, stopped him.

Shit, shit, shit. I knew this was a bad idea...

"Wait."

"Alex..."

Alex wasn't listening. He lowered himself to his knees, and stroked the outside of Fox's thighs, while he studied his lover's black, fishnet bound cock and balls. He leaned in slowly, and planted a soft kiss on the shaft. "I like this." His tongue slithered out, stroking the hard length. Fox's breathing automatically shallowed.

"Alex, don't..."

"Don't worry." He continued to caress Fox's thighs. "I won't do anything else. I want to see this at home...without all these clothes." He rubbed his lightly-stubbled cheek along the hard warmth, then pulled Fox's pants back up.

"Great," Fox readjusted his clothing. "Now I gotta walk out there with a raging hard-on."

"Your jacket'll cover most of it."

Fox's eyes flicked down to his lover's crotch. "What about you?"

"I'll walk close behind you until we sit down."

Fox moaned, and made for the door, but again, Alex's hand stopped him. It clamped around his wrist, and pulled him in close.

"You look so fucking hot in that thing," the younger man rasped through his teeth. "I can't wait to get you home."

"Well," Fox purred against his mouth, "it's your fault. If you had just waited until I got home to give it to me, we wouldn't be going through this, now, would we?"

"A little torture is good for the soul," Alex moaned, just before he covered those sinfully beautiful lips in a deep kiss. He released Fox after a few brief moments, then turned toward the door. "Let's go," he said softly, "before Scully comes in after us..."

"About damn time, I was about to come in after you!"

Alex cast a knowing smirk in his lover's direction, as they returned to the table and took their seats. "You wouldn't believe all the people in there, wanting to wash their hands."

"Yeah. Right."

"Fine. Don't believe me." Alex turned toward Fox and tapped the table in front of him. "Oh. I almost forgot. Langly called earlier this afternoon, lisa. He says that Frohike broke their copy of the Montana and Wyoming UFO sightings, and he wants to know if they can borrow yours to make another copy."

"I'll uh..." Fox cleared his throat and started again. "I'll call him when we get home." He tried to look away from the pools of turbulent green, but found himself having great difficulty. His cock throbbed impatiently, sending tiny tendrils of sensation curling through every nerve in his lower body, as his eyes conversed with Alex's.

One corner of Alex's mouth slanted upward, as his eyes flicked between Fox's face and his crotch.

The older man's eyes left his lover's, scanning the room. Seeing that the angling and location of their table afforded him a good amount of shielding from view, he engaged Scully in conversation, while his hand slid up his own thigh, and came to rest on the bulge in his pants.

Alex's lashes drooped, and he sucked in a long breath. He held the breath, waiting. Fox's hand began to move, lightly caressing himself, all the while carrying on his conversation with his oblivious partner. Alex released the breath slowly, then sucked it right back in through his nose, as his lover's hand began to gently squeeze himself.

God, baby, I love you, I...no...no, don't stop, dammit...

Alex blinked and whipped his head around to his left. The server stood beside him, smiling.

"And I believe you were the stuffed manicotti."

"Oh. Uh, yeah." Alex let the girl place the plate in front of him, then glanced back at Fox. The older man's eyes left his for a brief instant to thank the server, then fell directly back to him. He gave Alex a sweet, seductive smile, then resumed his conversation with Scully.

Dinner went slowly, or at least it seemed that way to Alex, who was dying to get the bloody hell out of the damned restaurant, and get his lover home. When the server finally came over to clear the dishes away, she asked if anyone was up for desert. Before anyone could answer, Alex practically shouted, "No!" He looked over at his dinner companions, one of which wasn't the least bit surprised, and shrugged. "Come on, you gotta be stuffed, right?"

Scully rolled her eyes and turned to the server. "Actually, he's right. I couldn't eat another bite."

The girl looked to Fox. "How about you, sir?"

"I don't know...you might be able to tempt me. What have you got?" He glanced over into Alex's astonished eyes, and smirked.

The server ran down the list, and to Alex's absolute irritation, Fox ordered a strawberry tallcake. While they waited, he again struck up a conversation with Scully, while his hand dropped back into his lap. While Scully was replying to a statement he'd made, he snuck a peek over at Alex, who looked him directly in the eye, and mouthed "I hate you", at him. He nodded, and returned his focus on the woman across from him.

When the desert came, Scully's eyes brightened. "Oh God, that looks good."

"Thought you didn't want any desert?"

"I didn't, but now I do."

"Well, grab a spoon. There's plenty here for all three of us," Fox answered, viewing the layers of biscuit, strawberries and whipped cream, from all angles.

Alex watched, head in his hand, drumming his fingers slowly on the table, as the two enjoyed their desert. Fox looked over at him, sliced off a large piece, and held it in front of him. "Have some, baby," he coaxed softly. "It's really good."

"No thanks," he said flatly, his eyes never leaving his lover's face.

Fox put his fork down, finally deciding that they'd both had enough. "That's it, I'm done. Scully, you can kill the rest if you want to."

"Nah." Scully took two more bites. "I've had it, too. Any more, and you two will have to roll me up my front steps. Let's get the check before I fall asleep."

The bill was paid, and the three walked out the door, and into the parking lot. Fox was the first one to speak. "See you tomorrow, Scully."

"Goodnight, Mulder. See you later, Alex."

Alex stood behind Fox, their bodies touching. His hand brushed up and down the older man's sleeve. "Bye, Scully."

They watched Scully get into her car, before either one spoke. Alex leaned in close to his lover's ear, and whispered into it, "See you at home."

Fox closed his eyes, absorbing the vibration of Alex's words, and nodded.

As Alex walked to his car, the low utterance of his name reached his ears. He turned to find Fox standing at the open door of his car, staring at him. He groaned softly, as the other discreetly pulled the zipper of his pants down, and slipped his hand inside. He gave Fox a long, smoldering look, and ducked inside his car. His lover did the same, and both pulled out of the parking lot, and headed west. Not more than a minute later, Alex's cell phone rang. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and raised it to his ear.

"What?"

"Guess what I'm doing?"

"Do I have to?"

"No. I can just tell you that my pants are undone and that I'm playing with myself..."

"No, you're not."

Soft moan. "Yes, I am." I've got the phone on hands free...and my *free hand* is squeezing my cock."

"Christ. Don't you dare come, Fox."

Alex's only response was a loud gasp.

"Fox!"

"Yeah?"

"Knock it off."

"I can't, Alex. You did this to me. You started this when you left me this damned thing."

"Thong."

"What?"

"It's not a thing, it's a thong. Get your descriptions straight."

"Whatever. *You* gave it to me, *you* teased me in bathroom...it's your fault now, that I'm so horny...and hard." Fox's moans and whimpers echoed in Alex's ear. "God, Alex, I'm *so* hard. I don't know if I can wait..."

"Dammit, Fox, stop it. Stop touching yourself, and zipper your pants."

"I can't. You know what little control I have...oh, *God*...."

"Fox..."

"Ohhhhh....mmmmm....."

Alex's cock screamed at him from within the confines of his jeans. The palms of his hands were sweaty, and his head was beginning to pound.

"Baby....*please*. We're almost there."

"I *am* almost there, Alex..."

"No! No, baby, we're almost *home*. Please, stop. I promise you, I'll fuck you into next week, if you'll just wait a few minutes."

"Mmmm, you promise?"

"Of course I do. Now please, stop...okay?"

Brief silence, then, "Okay."

"Alex?"

"What?"

Fox's car pulled farther ahead. "Step on it."

Less than five minutes later, both cars screeched into the garage. The automatic doors closed, and they were out of their cars, and all over each other, tearing at each other's clothing. Alex backed his lover into the house, making it only as far as the living room, when the next to the last item of clothing hit the floor. Alex pushed Fox away, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of his lover, naked except for the bit of black fishnet, stretched tight by his swollen cock and the heavy sac below.

"Goddamn, you're the fucking sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Alex reached out, grabbing Fox's arm, and jerking him against his chest. Their mouths came together in a brutal kiss, each man doing his utmost to swallow the other, whole. Alex grasped the waistband of the thong, and pulled up on it, wedging the vertical string of material tighter between the muscles of Fox's ass. The older man grunted, scratching at Alex's back.

"Fuck me, Alex," Fox demanded against his lover's mouth. "You promised."

"So, I did," Alex breathed, yanking up on the band again.

"*Ah*...oh, *shit*! Alex, *please*..."

Alex dragged Fox down to the floor, pushing him onto his back. Without warning, he attacked both nipples, sucking and biting one, while plucking at the other with his fingers. The object of his passion writhed beneath him, cursing, and pleading for mercy. Alex released his nipples, then quickly worked his way down to his still scantily covered cock. Once there, he pressed his face to the barely-contained bulge, drowning in the intoxicating scent of his lover's desire. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest, and he closed his teeth over solid muscle.

Fox hissed through gritted teeth, as Alex bit down on him and pulled. Fuck, it felt good. That devastating pleasure tinged with just the right amount of pain...it drove him insane.

"Alex..oh God, please...Alex, please, *please*!"

His lover's frantic pleas broke what was left of Alex's control. His teeth clamped down on the flimsy bit of netting, and tore at it, until it was left hanging from the band by a few threads. Fox's liberated cock sprang forward, and Alex fell on it, immediately sucking the entire length of it down his throat.

"Shit..oh, *fuck*!" Fox arched violently, trying in vain to get deeper into Alex's mouth.

Alex pulled up slowly, maintaining a steady suction, while his tongue fluttered along the underside of his tortured lover's cock. Fox tangled his fingers in Alex's hair, trying to push him back down, but the younger man would not be dissuaded. With one last hard suck on the head, he released Fox from his mouth.

"*Noooo*, baby, please..." Fox panted, unmistakable desperation in his cries.

Alex slithered up his body, stopping only when they were face to face. He took Fox's mouth in another ferocious kiss, and ground their erections together. He pulled out of the kiss and yanked what was left of the thong, down and off. "Spread your legs," he snarled. Fox obeyed without delay, and he kneeled between his parted thighs. He reached over, pulling a small tube out of his pants pocket, and sneered down at Fox. "I've learned with you, never to be unprepared."

"Have you, really?" Fox rasped. "Why's that?"

"Because..." Alex guided his cock to the ring of muscle, and pushed the head in. "You're such a goddamn unpredictable..." he thrust in a bit more, "...insatiable..." and a bit more, "...fucking *slut*." He emphasized the word with one last vicious thrust.

A low mewling sound escaped Fox's throat, as his upper body arched and twisted.

"Aren't you?" Alex grasped his lover's cock and settled into a quick, hard rhythm. "Aren't you my beautiful, insatiable slut?"

"*Yes*," Fox gasped. He was right there. One more second. One more stroke...

And there it was.

The light exploded, shattering into a million pieces, leaving only dark and the sounds of two men's screams of pleasure. Alex collapsed on top of Fox's chest, and both men clung to each other, struggling to breathe. Long minutes passed before either of them was able to move.

Alex lifted his head, and fixed a droopy-lidded, glassy-eyed stare on his exhausted Fox.

Fox gave him a weary, half-smile. "What the hell do you mean, *slut*?"

Alex's head fell to his shoulder, and he issued a weak laugh. "Hey, it isn't like you never *that* from me, before. Come on, ya slut, let's go take a nice warm shower, what d'you say?"

"Sounds good."

Alex rose to his feet and pulled Fox up after him. The older man looked back at the mangled bit of black fishnet on the floor.

"You liked that thing so much, you ripped it to shreds..."

Alex laughed, pulling his lover toward the bedroom. "Don't worry, you've got more..."

"There they are." Justin called the attention of the head of his team. The man walked up beside him, and put the binoculars up to his eyes.

"Which one?"

"The one on the right." He stood silently, watching the naked, tired-looking men walk into the bathroom. He closed his eyes momentarily, then reopened them. "I want him, gentlemen. Do *not* fail me."

end...

Feedback: Yes, please. You can reach me at 

 

* * *

 

The Best Laid Plans  
Part Three

* * *

Mulder lay back against the fluffy while pillows. He smiled, immediately finding himself with an armful of warm, sleepy Alex. He kissed the shower-dampened head, and gently shook the younger man's shoulder. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"What else did you buy me?"

"What?"

"What *else* did you buy me? I know you bought more of those thong things...anything else?"

"Oh...uh-huh."

"What?"

"Mmm....flavored lube...studded cock ring..."

"Ooooh..."

"Ostrich feathers....a few butt plugs..."

Fox broke into laughter. "Are you shitting me?"

"Nope. Did I mention the studded collar to match the cock ring?"

"God, I'm sorry I asked."

"No, you're not."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I'm a slut."

Alex chuckled softly, kissing Fox's chin. "*My* slut. And I wouldn't have you any other way."

Fox tightened his arms around his lover, and nuzzled the top of his head. "Go to sleep, dammit."

"Yes, Mr. Saint James."

"We'll be home tomorrow evening, Lester. Tell me you'll be ready."

"Yes sir, I think we will be."

"You *think*."

"We'll be out of here by tonight."

"See that you are. Tell your men, I'll add a generous bonus to their pay, if they come through."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll check back in with you in the morning."

Justin disconnected and sat down to breakfast. "Tomorrow, beautiful one," he murmured as he spread orange marmalade on his muffin. "Tomorrow, you're mine."

"Guess who?"

Alex smiled into the phone. "Mel Gibson?"

"What a comedian. You really should have your own show, you know that?"

"What can I do for you?"

"Ask me that question again, when I get home."

"You got it."

"When*ever* I get home..."

"This doesn't sound good."

"Not really. Damn computer swallowed three reports."

"Didn't you back them up?"

"Yeah. Ask me where they are."

"Where are they?"

"Who the hell knows?"

"God."

"I'll be home as soon as I can, but you shouldn't wait up."

Alex sighed into the phone. "Guess I can put the toys away, huh?"

"I'm sorry." Fox's voice lowered to a soft, seductive purr. "We'll play all weekend, okay?"

Alex brightened at the prospect of a marathon session. "Okay. Wake me up if I'm asleep when you come in."

"If it isn't too late. See you later."

Alex disconnected, and looked over at Clyde, who was snoring by the patio doors. "Can't even count on *you* for company, tonight." He stretched and headed down the hall, toward the bedroom.

"Alone tonight, Alex?" Justin watched the man crawl into bed and turn the television on. "Where's the lovely Fox? Goodness, and I was so looking forward to one last night of entertainment." Gray eyes continued to watch as Alex drifted into sleep. "Too bad. Tonight would have been perfect, if only I could have been sure of Fox's whereabouts. Oh well. We'll just stick to the plan. It's only one more day."

Fox crept silently into the bedroom. He moved toward the bed and looked down at the sleeping figure. A gentle smile touched his lips, as he shed his shirt and tie. Pants, shoes and underwear followed, then he was sliding under the sheet, moving toward his slumbering lover. He wrapped an arm around Alex's chest, and felt the younger man stir.

Aware of his lover's warmth, but not fully awake, Alex nestled back into the heated cradle of Fox's body, and slipped back into unconsciousness. Fox kissed the back of the sable head, then rested his cheek against Alex's shoulder, and joined him in sleep.

Fox's eyes opened at four forty-seven. His eyes darted about frantically, and his heart pounded against his chest. The feel of the warm body tucked against him, brought him to reality. He took several steadying breaths, and secured his hold on the man in his arms. He dropped a few tender kisses in the wild hair, and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, the anxiety returned.

Dark eyelashes fluttered, then swept upward as Alex felt the tension in the body behind him. Still enfolded in his lover's arms, he wiggled onto his back and turned his head toward Fox's. His voice was soft and husky from sleep.

"You okay?"

"Yeah..." Fox pulled Alex tighter against him and buried his face in the younger man's throat. "...yeah."

"Then why is your heart racing? Were you dreaming?"

"No."

"Then, what?"

"I don't...I..." Fox raised his head, meeting Alex's eye. "I'm going to stay home, today," he said impetuously.

"Huh? Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah."

"What time did you get home?"

"A little after twelve."

"Did you find the files?"

"Two of them. Got a few more places to look, but we were too tired."

"So, you've got work to do, but you've decided to stay home...for no reason."

"Yeah."

"Fox, you never just take a day out of work for the hell of it."

"I am, today."

Alex studied him for a moment, then began to shake his head. "Talk to me, lisa."

He wasn't going to let it drop and Fox knew it. Might as well just tell him. "I just...I don't feel right. I'm not sick or anything, it's just this..this *feeling* like I should be here."

"Is this anything like those other episodes you've had lately?"

"I guess so....yeah."

Alex smiled indulgently. "Close your eyes, Fox. I'll set the clock for seven. If you go to sleep now, you can catch almost two more hours. When you wake up, you'll feel better, and you'll go to work."

"You're trying to get rid of me?"

Alex stroked his lover's stubbled jaw. "Never. I don't know why you keep getting these anxiety attacks, but everything is fine, and there's no need for you to miss work. Tell you what. You can call home every hour to check in, okay?"

No answering smile. Not even a trace.

Alex twisted free of Fox's grasp, and propped himself against the pillows. "C'mere."

Fox slipped into his lover's arms, feeling them close securely around him. He rested his head against Alex's chest, allowing himself to be soothed by the strong, steady beat of his heart.

"Go back to sleep," Alex coaxed softly, all the while, smoothing his palm over the tense muscles of Fox's back and shoulders. "You'll feel better in a couple of hours."

Some twenty minutes later, both men were again, asleep.

"So...Lester."

"Yes, Mr. Saint James, we're getting ready to do the cleanup, now. We'll be gone in a few hours."

"Thank you, Lester. I knew I could count on you. Convey my gratitude to the crew, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

Justin tossed the phone onto the bed and chuckled into his tented hands. "Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes." He spun around, shouting in the direction of the door. "Frank!"

Seconds later, Frank appeared. "Yes, sir?"

"Are we all packed?"

"Yes, sir."

"The jet is ready?"

"It is."

"My special instructions have been followed?"

"They have."

"To the letter, Frank, this is precious cargo, we take back with us."

"To the letter, Mr. Saint James."

"Excellent. Now leave me."

The other man exited quietly, leaving Justin to enjoy his anticipated victory.

"Come on, Clyde, what the heck is wrong with you?"

The dog whined softly, following Alex around from room to room, bumping him with his head, stopping only when Alex reached down to pet him.

"We've been for a run, a walk...what more do you want?"

The dog looked up at him with soulful brown eyes, cocking his head from side to side.

"Why don't you go take a nap or something?"

The dog sat and continued to stare up at his master.

"Between you and Fox, I don't know which of you has been acting weirder lately." Alex turned toward the kitchen with Clyde right on his heels. He opened the back door, and just as the dog was about to follow him into the yard, he turned, placing his knee between him and the partially open door. "No, you don't. I love you buddy, but I need just a little breathing space, okay? Fifteen minutes is all I ask." He closed the door, and went to fetch the garden hose. The frantic barks of the dog made him turn in the direction of the house, frowning. Clyde was now in the living room, pacing back and forth in front of the glass doors, barking continuously. Alex figured it was best to just ignore him, and set about watering the plants. A loud scratching joined the barking, had regained his attention. "Shit! Clyde, cut that out!"

The dog was now leaping at the glass, his claws banging sharply at the pane. Alex threw the hose down and started toward the house, when something clamped around him from behind. Before he had a split second to react, a piece of material was forced over his mouth and nose, then the world went dark.

Fox stood in his office drumming impatiently on his desk, phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, looking at his watch.

"Alex, it's me. I've been calling you for....well, when you get the first message, you'll know how long I've been calling. Listen...I'm heading home. I know it's a little early, but Scully and I found that last disk, and there's really nothing here that's pressing, so, I'll see you soon. Don't worry about dinner, we can order a pizza or something."

"Feel better?" Scully asked from her own desk.

"Not until I get home." Fox filed the folders from his desk, and plucked his jacket from the back of his chair. "You going home, too?"

"Yeah, I guess. Actually, this is perfect. I can start on that new novel I bought the other day."

"Well, let's go," Fox called as he passed through the door into the hall.

"Sheesh! Mulder, slow down, would you?" Scully practically ran to keep up with her partner's long strides.

Fox ignored her request, and strode out into the parking garage. Only when he reached his car, did he look up at her. "Night, Scully. See you tomorrow."

Before she could respond, he was in the car, and pulling out of the space.

"Goodnight, Mulder," she called flatly after the departing car. A long, exasperated sigh blew past Scully's lips, and she opened her own car door.

"Yes?"

"Mission accomplished, Mr. Saint James."

Justin grinned. "Wonderful! Did you have any trouble? He wasn't injured, was he?"

"No. We took him by surprise, just like you said. I gotta tell you though, I'm glad we didn't have to tangle with that dog. He was going insane at the glass doors. He looked like he wanted to tear us to ribbons."

Justin ignored the remark. "Are you on your way to the airport?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm on my way."

Justin slammed the phone down and picked up his jacket. "Frank! It's time to leave!" He moved out of the room, humming to himself.

Fox pulled into the garage beside Alex's car, and went directly into the house. Clyde met him at the door, barking non stop.

"Clyde...Clyde! Quiet!"

He swept through the house calling Alex's name, but there was no answer. The dog trotted beside him, barking and yapping.

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

Clyde ran to the patio doors, and leapt up at them. Fox followed him, and looked out into the yard. Seeing nothing, he slid the door open, and walked into the yard. Clyde bolted out ahead of him, and dashed back and forth across the sprawling backyard, sniffing and barking.

Fox looked around. "Alex?"

Nothing.

He called again.

"Alex!"

Still, nothing.

Fox was about to call once more, when the sound of water stopped him. He stooped and picked up the hose, then looked around again. Alex never left the hose just lying around. Alex never left *anything* just lying around. He was just too damned neat.

Fox walked over to the spicket and turned the water off.

Okay. There's a reasonable explanation for this. There is.

He took a few deep breaths, and went over to where Clyde was sniffing around. He covered every inch of the area, and found nothing. Still, the dog dashed back and forth, barking wildly. Something was wrong. He knew it.

"*Fuck*!"

Why the hell did I let him talk me into going to work?

He ran back into the house, and picked up the phone. Shaking hands punched in his partner's number.

"Scully."

"It's me. I need help."

"What...Mulder, what's wrong?"

"He's gone, Scully..."

"Gone? Who's gone? What are you talking..."

"Alex! He's gone, he's not here, he's not..."

"Calm down, Mulder. *What* are you talking about?"

"He'd never leave the hose uncoiled on the ground and the water running...I knew...I knew...I shouldn't have let him...I should have stayed..."

"The *what*? Mulder, I need you to pull yourself together. You're not making any sense."

"Clyde...he's trying to tell me, but I can't...I don't..."

"Maybe he just went to the store."

"His car is here."

"Or a walk..."

"Not without Clyde. And he *wouldn't* leave the water running!"

"All right. Look, Mulder. Stay there. Don't you move. I'll be right over."

Fox dropped the phone, and went through room after room, double-checking. He returned to the living room, and fell onto the sofa. Clyde had finally stopped barking, and came to sit by his side. The dog rested his chin on Fox's knee, whining softly.

"Where is he, Clyde? God, why the hell didn't I stay home like I wanted to?" He dropped his head into his hands, and rocked back and forth. "Oh God...oh God, oh God, oh God..."

The jet lifted off, and Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

It all went off without a hitch. They'd be home in a few hours, and then he could begin.

When it was permissible for him to do so, Justin moved to the back of the plane. He squatted in front of the six and a half by two and a half, covered object. Pulling the covering off, he observed the unconscious, shackled man.

Almost two years later, he was just as beautiful as he was when Justin first saw him. He reached between the black iron bars of the cage, and gently ran one manicured finger across the edge of the sable lashes. He withdrew his hand, then inserted it between another two bars, stroking Alex's thigh. "Very nice," he whispered. "You, my lovely, will be my crowning achievement." He continued to caress Alex's leg for a few moments more. "Sleep well, Alexei. When you wake, you'll be home."

Scully pulled up in the driveway, and Fox was there, practically ripping her out of her car.

"I've looked everywhere I could think to look, Scully. I can't find him anywhere..."

"Mulder, are you *sure* that he just hasn't walked to the store or something?"

"I'm sure, Scully. Something happened to him, I'd stake my life on it. *This* is why I've been feeling the way I have. *Dammit*, why did I let him talk me into going to work?"

"You two haven't had an argument or anything?"

"What? No! He didn't leave here of his own free will, Scully, I *know* it."

"Okay. Look, I called the guys on my way over here. They're coming. Since we don't want the Bureau involved in this, they're going to dust for prints and all that, okay?"

"Yeah...yeah. I have to find him, Scully, I have to..."

"Hey, Mulder!" Young Larry Mitchell ran up. "Guess what surveillance turned up?"

"A little later, okay, Mitchell? Have...have you seen Alex?"

"Nope. Not today."

"Not at all?"

"Uh-huh. Are you sure you don't want to hear about..."

"I'm sorry, Mitchell, but I'm in the middle of a really big problem, right now. Later, okay buddy?"

Fox sprinted toward the van that had just pulled up into the driveway. The three men piled out, and then all five went into the house. The little boy watched them, then threw up his arms and walked away.

"Okay Mulder, where do you want us to start?"

"What?"

Frohike opened up a black leather bag. "Where do you want to start?"

"I don't...I don't know how much good this is going to do, Frohike. Nothing was upset inside the house and...you can check the furniture and the fence....I...don't know..."

"Okay buddy, just take it easy," Langly tried to reassure him. "We'll see what we can turn up."

Fox turned to Scully. "We gotta go to the neighbors. Maybe one of them saw something, or heard something..."

"Okay. But Mulder, you can't do this if you don't calm down."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Your hands are shaking like crazy. You need to be focused, Mulder. You need to be *here*, or you'll be no help to Alex. Okay?"

Fox closed his eyes an made an attempt at breathing normally. "All right....all right." He opened his eyes. They looked just as desperate as they did when he closed them, but Scully knew that there was no way in hell he wasn't going to go with her to question the neighbors, so she placed a steadying hand on his back, and walked with him to the door.

"Carefully....easy...." Justin instructed the men who carried the cage into the house. They brought it to the indicated room, and placed it inside of a larger enclosure, constructed of iron bars. The men unlocked the cage, removed the shackles, and placed the unconscious man on the bed at one end of the larger cage.

Justin checked his watch, and leaned over Alex. "We still have about half an hour before you wake, Alexei..." He stroked Alex's forehead, then his cheeks. "Nice facial structure." He pulled the bow shaped lips back, examining his teeth. "Very nice. Straight. Strong." His hand traveled lower, undoing three buttons of the sage green shirt. "Not especially hairy. Good." His eyes flicked down to the denim covered crotch. "Let's see *this* treasure..."

"Justin!"

Justin paused, hand at Alex's zipper. "Morgan! Glad you could make it so quickly. I'm sorry old man, but I just couldn't wait for you to see this." The man on the bed sighed softly. "Hmm. Looks like I may have overestimated on the time." Justin rose from the edge of the bed, and exited the enclosure. He closed and locked the door behind him.

Morgan looked around, frowning. "Justin...what *is* all this?"

"Well, my newest companion is going to need some time to get used to his new home, and I don't want him to be injured in the interim."

"Justin....you kidnapped this man?"

"I prefer to think of it as improving his life."

"Does he have a family?"

"Yes. I am his family."

"I mean *before*. "

"It's irrelevant."

Morgan cut his eyes from his friend, back to the man in the cage. He was coming to.

"Look at him," Justin whispered. "He's magnificent, isn't he?"

"Yes, he certainly is. But Justin..."

The sound coming from the inside of the cage, held the attention of both men. The man on the bed began to moan, and his body shifted and stretched.

"Shit. God, my..." Alex's eyes began to open, and he realized that something was very wrong. "What the hell..." He struggled to sit up, wincing at the throbbing headache and...God, his scalp was sore. He blinked, trying to focus on his surroundings. This first thing that he noticed when the room stopped spinning, were the bars.

"What the fuck?"

The second thing was a pair of gray eyes, studying him intently, from beyond the bars.

Recognition hit him like a hammer.

"*You*."

"Hello, Alex."

"What..." Alex shook his head and refocused. "What the fuck is this?"

Justin looked around proudly. "This is your new home."

Alex's heart started to pound as painfully as his head. "The *fuck* it is!"

In an instant, he was off the bed, and at the bars. "Let me out of here!"

Morgan backed away, frightened by the infuriated gleam in the young man's eyes.

Alex gripped the bars, shaking them with all his strength. "I'll kill you, you motherfucker! Open the door!"

Justin virtually sparkled with admiration. "Exquisite."

"Justin." Morgan touched his friend's arm and led him away. "Justin, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Justin cocked his head, then looked over at Alex, who was pacing the length of the cage, hurling curses and threats in their direction. "Yes, of course I do."

"He's *furious*. "

"I know. Look at his eyes. Look at the glint. A beautiful, ferocious animal."

"An animal you may not be able to tame."

"It'll take some time," Justin allowed, "but he *will* come around. Can you see it, Morgan? Can you see the envy on our friends' faces when they see me with *him* on my arm?"

Alex stopped railing long enough to hear some of what was being said.

Oh, this has *got* to be a dream. Fox'll wake me up any second now...

He closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. Nothing had changed. No comfortable bed. No warm Fox beside him...

Fox.

Oh, God, he must going crazy.

Alex looked at his wrist for the time, and his blood pressure soared. His watch had been taken. The watch that Fox had given him that Christmas on Andros...

Shit, shit, fuck, shit...oh, this guy is *so* dead...

Alex raised his right hand to his temple in an attempt to massage away some of the pain, when he noticed something else was missing. He looked down at his hand. The silver band that Fox had given him not long after they'd returned home from the Bahamas, was gone. He exploded into a blind rage, throwing himself against the bars.

"You motherfucker! You sick, demented, son-of-a-bitch! Let me *out* of here!"

"Justin," Morgan whispered nervously, "Justin, he's going to rip those bars right off."

Justin sighed impatiently. "Don't be ridiculous, Morgan. Those bars are solid steel. He's not going to break them, I don't care *how* upset he gets." Justin approached the cage, taking care remain at a safe distance. "You really should calm down, Alexei..."

The sound of the name that only Fox used, on this bastard's lips, made Alex shudder with disgust.

"You're going to wear yourself out. And on this, your first day home..."

"This isn't my home," Alex spat out.

"It is, now. The sooner you learn and accept that, the easier your life will become."

"Look, you sick fuck. I'm going to kill you anyway, but if you let me out of here now, I promise you, I'll make it quick and painless."

"Darling," Justin began in his most condescending tone, " I understand you're upset. You've been taken from familiar surroundings...you'll never see your mate again...of course it's a bit disconcerting. I would have loved to have you both here with me, really I would have. Fox is so very beautiful, and seeing you two together was such a treat. I would have given a fortune to have the two of you here to entertain me as you had for those few days..."

Alex began to pace again. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I was your new neighbor."

"Oh...*Jesus.*

"I was at a perfect angle to see right into your bedroom. And your yard..."

"You *watched* us?"

"Oh, yes. And I must admit, I've never seen anything quite so erotic. You actually made me blush, and that isn't an easy thing to do."

Alex turned his back and covered his eyes with his hands. "This isn't happening. This is *not* happening..." He whirled back to face his jailer. "Have you been planning this for almost two fucking years?"

"Oh, no. Truthfully, I'd really given up on you, that last night on Andros. But as fate would have it, I was in New York on business recently, and saw your lovely Fox in a restaurant with his little partner. I heard a policman call him Agent Mulder, and my interest was piqued. So, I did a little poking around, and discovered that he was a federal agent. A little more investigation revealed his home office, and from there, it was easy to find out where he lived. Imagine my surprise when I saw *you* step out of the house with him, one day. I really thought that you two would have been long separated. You were so intense, I thought your affair would have burned itself out long ago."

Alex snorted. "Apparently, asshole, you've got a lot to learn."

"Quite so. Perhaps we could teach each other, yes?"

"Oh, I got your lesson, motherfucker."

One corner of Justin's mouth slanted upward.

"What did you do with my watch and ring?"

"Oh, don't worry about those."

"Where are they?" Alex ground from between clenched teeth.

"Now, it really wouldn't do for you to be wearing another man's gifts, would it?"

"*Another* man?"

"Well...after all, you *are* mine..."

"What the fuck world do you live in?!? I'm not now, nor will I *ever* be *yours*!"

Morgan watched the exchange from across the room, shaking his head in disbelief.

"But you *are*, my beautiful one," Justin replied matter of factly. "In time, you'll come to accept that fact. And the name Fox Mulder will come to mean nothing to you."

Alex hurled himself at the bars again, reaching through them, trying in vain to grab a sleeve, a collar, anything to drag Justin toward him...and kill him.

"I'm going to rip your heart out and feed it to you, you goddamn, fucking shit!"

Justin laughed in the face of Alex's rage, and turned toward his friend, who was still cowering near the door.

"Isn't he wonderful?" he asked, as he reached Morgan.

"Wonderful? Justin, I don't know about you, but I believe he means every word he said."

"I believe him, too. That's why he's in there, and we're out here."

"How can you not be afraid? If he ever gets out of there..."

"He won't. Not until the time is right."

"I don't think either of us will live long enough to see that time."

Justin grunted disdainfully. "Such negativity. Would you care to put a little wager on it?"

Not being one to pass up a good bet, Morgan nodded. "All right. How much?"

"Ten grand?"

"You're on. There's got to be a time frame, now. How long do you say it'll take?"

"Two months."

Morgan laughed. "You *are* confident. Two months it is."

"It's a sucker bet, Morgan," Alex rumbled from the other side of the room.

Justin turned amused eyes to his prisoner. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Alex fixed him with a cold stare. "He can't collect from a dead man."

Justin flinched inwardly at the young man's tone. All the ranting and screamed threats combined, didn't have the effect that these few words, so quietly, so coldy uttered, delivered. He raised his chin a fraction, and smiled at Alex. "You're overwrought. Why don't you try to get some rest? I'll have some fresh clothes and some food brought in to you." He looked to his portly companion. "Morgan? Let's leave him alone, shall we?"

The two men exited, leaving Alex alone. His hands gripped the bars so tightly, his knuckles had gone past white and were on their way to blue. His eyes closed, and his head dropped forward against the cold steel.

"The neighbors see anything?"

"Nothing," Scully answered Byers' question as she and her partner came through the door. "Three hours and we turned up nothing. What about you guys?"

"Not a clue. We picked up some prints here and there. If they don't match Mulder's or Krycek's, we may be in business."

Mulder stumbled over to the sofa and fell onto it. He lowered his head into his still-shaking hands.

"Alex..."

No one heard the whispered moan. No one saw the look of utter grief that lined his features. No one needed to see it, to know the excruciating pain he was suffering.

Scully sat beside him and placed an understanding hand on his shoulder. "Mulder," she whispered, "We'll find him....Mulder?"

Fox raised his head suddenly, startling his partner. His eyes stared vacantly. In the last few hours, he looked like he'd aged ten years.

"I can't sit around here, Scully. I gotta do something. I gotta..."

"What, Mulder? What are you going to do? Where do we start?"

Fox leapt to his feet and began to pace. "I don't know. I don't..." He stopped in his tracks. "Cancerman."

"You think it was him? After all this time, why would he rock the boat?"

"I don't know. But it's the only place I can think of to start."

"But how do we find *him*?"

He began to pace again. "Alex knew where to find him, but he thought is was safer for me if I didn't know..." Another thought came to him. "Skinner. He knows."

"But Mulder...how are you going to..."

"I don't know. But I have to ask him."

"You're taking a chance, Mulder."

"I have no choice. I can't worry about what he *might* find out. Alex is *all* I care about." He looked around. "Where are the guys?"

"They went back outside for another sweep of the property. If there's anything out there, Mulder, they'll find it. I think they've brought every piece of equipment with them that they own."

Fox nodded. "I'm going to Skinner's."

"I'll come with you."

"No, stay here and call me if anything comes up."

"Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine."

"You need to be, Mulder. I don't want any calls from the hospital saying that you've been in an accident."

"I'm all right."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

Fox snatched his keys off of the table, and dashed out of the house. He jumped into his car, and roared out of the garage, and down the driveway. As he turned onto the street, he forced himself to concentrate on the drive and not his missing lover, or what might be happening to him...or the fact that there was no way in hell that he could go to sleep tonight, or any night, if Alex wasn't there beside him...

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of Skinner's building. He took a deep breath and entered through the front doors. he spent the elevator ride up reviewing in his head, what it was he was going to say once he got there, but when he was standing at the door, ringing the bell, it all went right out of his head.

The door opened and the AD appeared, clad in faded jeans and a t-shirt, peering over his glasses at his frazzled agent.

"Agent Mulder. What can I do for you?"

"I need...I need your...your help, sir."

Skinner stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "What's going on? You look like hell."

"I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I need to find Cancerman."

Skinner squinted. "What?"

"Please, sir. You know how to reach him."

"What's this about, Mulder?"

"I can't...I...it's personal, sir. Very personal."

Skinner cast a dubious stare in Fox's direction. "Is Scully all right?"

"She's fine. This has nothing to do with her."

"Then..."

Fox closed his eyes. "*Please*, sir. I don't have time."

Skinner studied his agent, noting the desperation in his tone and in his eyes.

"All right, look. I'll see if I can get you a meeting, all right?"

Fox nodded. "*Now*....*please*."

"Go home, Mulder. Wait for a call."

"Thank you." Fox turned to leave, and was stopped by the rumbling baritone.

"After this...whatever it is, is over, will you be able to tell me about it?"

Fox glanced over his shoulder. "I don't think...I don't know. Thanks again, sir."

Then he was gone, leaving the AD deeply curious, and more than a little bit worried.

"Jesus *Christ*, would you look at this?"

"Oh man, we don't get paid enough to deal with *this* kind of shit."

Alex's two assigned 'chaperones' entered the room to find that their charge had completely destroyed his 'room'. Everything that wasn't bolted down was torn or smashed, and the food that had been brought to him, now decorated the bars and floor on one side. The clothing he'd been supplied with, was ripped to shreds and lay scattered all over the enclosure.

The two men eyed the one in the cage, who prowled restlessly from side to side. He stopped, realizing that he was not alone, and stood staring at them.

"You son of a bitch," the taller of them hissed. Don't you know he's going to make *us* clean this up?"

The caged man stood quietly watching, making not a move, except for the erratic rise and fall of his chest.

The taller man hit the other's arm. "Bobby, go get Paul and Tim."

The other man disappeared from the room, then returned minutes later, to find his companion and the new arrival still staring at each other.

"What are we going to do, Rich?"

"What do you mean, what are we going to do? We're going to clean that mess up."

"Shouldn't we ask Mr. Saint James before we go in there?"

"What the hell for? You think *he's* gonna clean it up?"

"No, but..."

"But what? Don't tell me you're *afraid* to go in there..."

"No..."

"Then, let's go."

Rich moved toward the door first, and pointed to a corner of the cage. "Okay, pretty boy. Over there."

Alex didn't move.

"I *said*, over *there*.

Still, he didn't budge.

"Don't test me, pal. *Move*."

Rich missed the tiny glint in Alex's eye as he slowly moved to the designated spot. He smiled, feeling a rush of superiority. "Tim, you stay out here. Hold onto the key." He passed the key to the short, stalky man with the sandy-brown hair, after he unlocked the door. "After we're in, lock it."

Bobby's eyes widened. "*Lock* it? Are you nuts?"

"You want to be the one to tell Mr. Saint James that he escaped?"

Bobby let out a long sigh, then followed the other two men into the cage.

"Paul, you watch him while we start picking this shit up." Rich and Bobby replaced the boxspring and mattress, then Rich shoved Alex down onto it. "Don't move. Don't you even fucking breathe, do you hear me?" He couldn't resist slapping the side of Alex's head before he started to walk away.

"You die first."

He turned around and glared at the seated man. "What the fuck did you say?"

Alex looked up at him silently.

Rich approached and leaned over him. "Did you say something to me, pretty boy?"

"Rich...."

"Shut up, Bobby....what did you say to me, asshole?"

Alex gave him an acid stare. "I said," he repeated softly, "*you* die first."

Before anyone knew what was going on, Alex was off the bed and on the slightly larger man. There was a sickening crack, and Rich fell to the floor, quite obviously dead.

"Oh, shit!" Paul screamed at the man on the other side of the cage. "Tim! Open the door! Open the..."

He choked on his last words, as a strip of material wrapped around his throat.

"Tim! Goddamn it, open the fucking door!" Bobby rattled the steel bars, as the second man struggled and gasped his last breaths.

Tim fumbled with the keys, but finally got the door open just as Alex let Paul drop to the floor. Bobby stumbled out and slammed the door behind him, locking it just in time. The two survivors watched, horrified as Alex kicked Paul's body to the side and spit on it. His eyes glittered with rage as he address the men.

"You two are going to be next."

Fox checked his watch for the millionth time.

Ten twenty-eight.

"Mulder, please sit down. You have to try to relax."

"Why hasn't he called? Come on," he pleaded with the phone, "*ring*."

As if on cue, the phone rang, nearly startling Scully off the edge of her chair. Fox snatched it up before it could ring a second time.

"Hello?"

"I hear you'd like to see me, Mr. Mulder. It's been a while. Do you miss me?"

Fox ignored the dig. "I need to talk to you."

"Goodness. So abrupt. How's Alex?"

Fox's patience snapped. "Where is he, you son of a bitch?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What did you do with him?"

"I beg your pardon, Fox, but if your lover is missing, it's not our doing. Have you forgotten our arrangement? I can assure you that we have not."

Fox went silent, his head spinning.

"Mr. Mulder? Are you there?"

"Yeah.....yeah. You know *nothing* about this..."

"I realize my word may not be worth much to you, but you have it nevertheless."

"If I find out that you're lying to me...if you've done something to him..."

"Yes?"

"It'd make me a man with nothing to lose. Remember that."

"That fact never leaves our minds...Mr. Mulder?"

"What?"

"Our resources are at your disposal should you need them."

Fox hesitated for a moment, then hung up.

"He claimed innocence, of course," Scully said to him.

Fox closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. "I think I believe him. Leaving Alex alone was in their very best interest. He's too smart to risk screwing with that."

"So now what?"

The phone rang again. Fox snatched it up.

"Yeah?"

"Mulder, it's Langly."

"You have anything?"

"Umm...yeah. Sort of."

"You either do or you don't, Langly."

"The prints we lifted are yours and Krycek's. But we picked up something during that second sweep of the area. We didn't say anything to you, in case it turned out to be nothing."

Fox's heart pounded in his ears. "What?"

"At the curb in front of your house, we found a piece of material...like a handkerchief. Mulder, it had traces of chloroform on it."

Fox bent at waist, phone still to his ear, trying to catch his breath. Scully approached and pulled the phone from his grip.

"It's Scully."

"Scully, is he okay?"

Scully led her devastated partner over to the sofa and made him sit. "Langly, what did you tell him? Breathe, Mulder. Come on, relax....Langly?"

"I told him that we found a handkerchief with chloroform on it at the curb."

"Oh, my God. Is that all?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Scully."

"Thanks, Langly. I gotta go. I'll be in touch." Scully put the phone down and sat beside Fox. "Mulder..."

"Who would do this, Scully? Why?"

"I don't know, Mulder, but we'll find him. Somehow, we'll get him back."

Fox buried his face in his hands and rocked back and forth. "Alex, where are you? God...what if he's hurt, Scully? What if..."

"Come on, Mulder. You have to keep it together. Alex needs you in one piece, okay?"

"I know." He continued to rock. "I know..."

Scully rubbed her partner's back slowly. "I know what your answer is going to be, Mulder, but you really need to try to get some rest."

"I can't, Scully, I..."

"Mulder, you'll be no good to anyone if you drop from exhaustion."

"I can't spend time sleeping when I could be..."

"Could be what? We don't even know where to start. It's too late to question those few neighbors who weren't home, so there's nothing you can do until tomorrow. Please go into your bedroom and lie down. I'll be right out here if anything happens."

Fox shook his head.

"Mulder, I know what this is doing to you. I understand. I promise you I'm going to do everything I can to help you find him. But I need you to *rest*. Now come on, I'm taking you to your room."

Fox allowed Scully to pull him into his bedroom. He looked down at the bed, and his eyes glazed over. He lowered himself slowly to one knee, then pivoted and lay on his side, pulling Alex's pillows to his chest. He inhaled deeply, then rested his cheek against against the pillow closest to his face. "They smell like him..." He closed his eyes and buried his face in the soft cushion.

Scully sat at the edge of the bed and stroked her partner's shoulder. "He'll be back," she whispered.

Fox nodded slowly, acknowledging his partner's assurance.

"I'll be in the living room, okay?"

Another barely discernible nod.

Scully left the room, leaving the door partially open.

Now alone, Fox squeezed the pillows tighter to himself, whispering his absent lover's name. "Alex......Alex, Alex....Alex....I'm so scared, I'm....please be all right...please, please....

"Matthew...wake up, love."

The young man blinked slowly and moaned.

"Come on, Matthew. Justin is home."

Matthew opened his eyes and looked up at the man sitting at the edge of his bed, smiling.

"I'm sorry I was away so long. I really hadn't intended to be, but something came up. I've got a surprise for you..."

The prone man eyed him cautiously but said nothing.

"Get up and I'll show you..."

"Mr. Saint James!" Bobby burst into the room. "I'm sorry to bother you sir, but..."

"Calm down, Bobby. What is the problem?"

"*He* is! He...oh my God, he..."

"Spit it out, Bob."

"Rich and Paul....they're dead, sir!"

Matthew lifted himself into a sitting position. What the hell was Bobby talking about?

"What? How?"

"He *killed* them, sir! Like lightning! We couldn't do anything..."

"What were they doing in there?"

"I'll explain on the way, sir. Please, come. I don't know what to do.."

Justin turned disturbed eyes to Matthew. "I'm sorry, darling. Stay here. I have to go see about this matter. I'll see you in the morning."

Matthew watched Justin hurry from the room and close the door behind him. He propped his pillows against the headboard and settled back into them.

Who is *he*? And did *he* really kill two men? What is going *on*, here?

Matthew shrank into the protective covering of his blankets. He had a bad feeling. A really, really bad feeling....

Justin burst into the room, followed by six men. He looked around at the carnage, then over at the cause of it.

"Alexei....."

"Don't call me that."

"What have you done here?"

"A little redecorating."

"Alexei, I can't have you killing my men."

"You brought it down on yourself. If you don't let me the fuck out of here, the body count *will* increase..."

"Darling, please understand that this is your home now. I'd love nothing more than to have you released from your enclosure. But I can't do that until I know I can trust you."

"And what if you thought you *could* trust me? Then what?"

Justin took two steps forward and whispered, "Then you become my treasured companion. My number one. You move from this cage to my bed." Gray eyelashes lowered to half-mast as he said those last words. "You'd be so pampered, darling. Servants at your beck and call...expensive clothes..cars...anything your heart desired would be yours."

The more Justin spoke, the more nauseated Alex became.

"Listen to me," he said to the older man in a tone that left no room for misinterpretation. "There's only one thing I'll ever want in my life. And you took it away from me. And for that, you need to pay." He cast a hard glance down at the body at his feet, then around the room at the others standing there. "All of you."

Justin shook his head and gave Alex a saccharine smile. "No, darling. You *will* come to accept me as your lover. Ty budesh moyo."

"*Nikogda*" Alex spat back.

"We shall see about that." Justin turned to the group assembled behind him. "Please pick that mess up."

Bobby stepped forward. "But, Mr. Saint James....you didn't see him...he's extremely dangerous, sir."

"There are six of you, are there not?"

"Yes, sir."

"If you six men cannot contain *one*, I fear I'll have to have you all replaced."

Bobby looked down at the floor. "But he said...he said Tim and I were next..."

"Oh, for goodness sake. Of course, he'd say that." Justin turned to the three largest men and motioned toward the cage. Do what you have to do to restrain him, but do *not* harm him. The other three can pick up."

"What about the bodies, sir?"

"Dispose of them."

The door was unlocked, and the three men advanced toward Alex from different angles, backing him into a corner. When they were close enough, he sprang. In the mele' that followed, he managed to break one man's jaw with a well-landed right cross, and ripped open another man's chest with a jagged piece of plastic, he'd hidden in the cuff of his shirt. With two men severely incapacitated, the other four had no choice but to jump in, finally subduing and restraining him.

As Alex lay pinned to the floor by three of the four men, screaming with rage, Justin approached.

"You know..." he pulled a small syringe from the breast pocket of his jacket and squatted beside the pile of men. "I had truly hoped this wouldn't be neccessary, but I cannot have you misbehaving like this."

Alex struggled for all he was worth, hurling threats at Justin and the men who held him down, but exhaustion was beginning to get the better of him.

"Relax, darling. This won't hurt a bit..." Justin injected the fluid into the still-struggling man, and waited. Seconds later, Alex's muscles gave out on him. He lay softly whimpering curses beneath the hands that held him.

The world was closing in on Alex. His body was betraying him, shutting down when he needed it most, and as the blackness came to claim him, all thoughts, hazy though they were, turned inward to that one safe place. The place where his love waited for him.

"What's he saying?" Bobby cautiously bent down to try and make out the barely audible, sluggishly uttered word, repeated over and over.

Justin rose to his feet, looking down at the scarcely conscious man. His eyes turned an icier shade of gray as he listened. He knew exactly what Alex was saying.

"Fox.....Fox.........Fox.........."

Fox sat up, staring wide-eyed into the darkness of the room.

It had been roughly two hours since Scully had made him come in to rest, and now, he'd been startled awake by...what? A dream? If it was a dream, he couldn't recall it. He only knew that he could hear Alex's voice. Pained and pleading. Calling to him.

His body began to shake and he gulped in large quantities of air, as he fought back the sobs that threatened to overtake him.

You can't. You *can't*. Alex needs you. Come on, pull it together.

He pulled himself into an upright position, clutching one of Alex's pillows to his chest.

Think. *Think*. Who would do this? Who would have anything to gain?

Fox searched his memory, trying to come up with an answer. The sun came up, and he was still sitting in the same position, driving himself crazy. Finally, he could take no more. He leapt out of bed and went into the living room.

Scully jumped at the sound of footsteps. She swiveled into a sitting position and blinked up at her partner.

"Mulder...what..."

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just...I couldn't stay in there any longer."

"You look worse now than you did when you went to bed. Did you sleep at all?"

"Couple of hours."

"A couple of hours is going to do it, Mulder."

"We need to question the other neighbors."

Scully looked at her watch. "A bit early for that."

"The neighbors inconvenience is the least of my worries right now, Scully. I'll send them all gift baskets and a note of apology later."

"Mulder, it's only six-twenty. Go take a shower. Shave. Maybe you'll wake up a little."

"I'm awake."

"Mulder..."

Fox closed his eyes and turned back in the direction of the hall. "All right. If that phone rings..."

"I'll drag you out of the shower."

Twenty minutes, Fox reappeared, showered, changed, but unshaven. He just couldn't work up the interest.

Scully looked him up and down, not at all happy with what she saw, but she knew that under the circumstances, she couldn't ask for very much more.

"Okay, Mulder, look...I'm going to run home and change. You stay put until I get back, okay?"

Fox emitted an impatient sigh.

"I'll be quick, I promise."

Fox nodded his agreement, then dropped onto the sofa, covering his eyes with his hands.

Scully departed, leaving him alone again, with his thoughts.

Eveybody I've ever put away is *still* away....scratch revenge....we've made no enemies since moving here....I don't...."

A soft whining interrupted him.

"Clyde." Fox looked down at the dog who had come to sit at his feet. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't feed you last night, did I? And I guess you need to go out."

The dog perked up at the words. He knew the words very well. Alex had taught him to retrieve his leash when he asked if he wanted to go out. He ran from the room and returned seconds later, dragging the lead behind him. He dropped the three foot strip of leather, and looked around.

Jesus, dogs are smart.

"Clyde, come here."

The dog walked slowly over to Fox, beginning to whine again.

"Alex can't take you for your walk this morning." He hugged the dog. "Maybe tomorrow, huh?" He rose to his feet. "Come on, I'll take you around the block, then give you some breakfast." He hooked the leash onto the dog's collar and making sure he had his cell phone with him, walked him out the front door.

"Ah. Matthew. You're up."

"Yes. Justin?"

"Yes, darling?"

"What...what was Bobby talking about last night?"

"Nothing for you to be concerned with. Nothing at all." Justin clapped his hands together. Well...since you're up, why don't you come have breakfast with me, and I'll show you that surprise."

Not entirely sure that he wanted to see whatever it was that Justin wanted to show him, but too afraid to refuse, Matthew let himself be led to the other side of the house.

"Now", Justin stopped in front of the door, eyes sparkling, "are you ready?"

Matthew nodded warily.

With a grand sweep of his arm, Justin threw the door open and beckoned the young man into the room.

Matthew looked wide-eyed, at the large steel cage that took up half the room. His eyes got wider still, when they fell on the man shackled to the bed inside the enclosure. He turned to Justin, a million questions swirling through his mind.

"Come closer, love. He won't bite you." Justin smirked at his own comment. "Come, now."

Matthew inched closer, to get a better look at the unconscious man. He'd been stripped to his underwear, so Matthew was able to get a good look at "his surprise"...

*My* surprise?

His eyes wandered over the body on the bed.

Long. Strong, graceful lines. Muscular. Well defined, but not overly so.

He studied the face.

Handsome. Very.

Perfectly bowed lips...nice nose...dark silky hair....long, thick eyelashes that swept his cheeks. Matthew found himself wondering what color eyes those thick fringes concealed.

"Isn't he exquisite?"

Matthew blinked and his gaze fell away from the man on the bed.

"Matthew? You don't think he's beautiful?"

Matthew shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say.

"I thought you'd like him. I'm away so much, and even when I'm here...I'm not a stupid man, darling. We're very far apart in age. I thought someone younger would be good company for you."

"For *me*?"

"Well...yes..." Justin grinned smugly. "And for me. You two will be so lovely. One on each arm..."

Matthew hoped Justin didn't see the shudder. "Why is he chained and caged?"

"He's a bit of a wild one. Not to worry though, he'll be broken in soon enough."

Jesus Christ, he kidnapped this man.

Justin broke in on his thoughts. "He's going to have his first lesson this morning. Would you care to stay and watch?"

Matthew wasn't exactly sure what Justin meant by "lesson" but of this much he *was* sure. He didn't want to be anywhere around to see it.

"I don't...I'd rather not, please."

The corner of the older man's mouth twitched. "Very well. Let's have some breakfast, hmm?"

With one last look at the man in the cage, Matthew let Justin lead him from the room.

"Mulder!"

Fox spun around at the sound of his name.

"Mitchell...what are you doing out so early?"

The little boy ran up. "Hi, Clyde." He scratched the dog's head, and looked up. "Just woke up early. I thought I could see if anything else funny was goin' on in that house."

"Mitchell, I..." Fox stopped in mid-sentence. He frowned, looking down at the boy. "Mitchell, listen to me. This is important, okay? Is this a game? Are you making all the stuff up that you've talked about?"

"No."

Fox's heart began to pound. "Mitchell, come with me." He walked the little boy up to the house and seated him on the front steps. "Tell everything funny that's been going on next door, okay?"

The child brightened. "Sure. You think something's fishy?"

Fox took a deep breath. "Remember when I asked you yesterday if you'd seen Alex?"

"Yeah..."

"He's disappeared, Mitchell. He's been missing since yesterday."

The little boy's eyes widened.

"Maybe you can help me find him."

"Sure...sure, Mulder. Gee, I hope he's okay. I like Alex. He doesn' talk to me like I'm a baby like a lot of people do."

"I know, Mitchell, I like him too. Now tell me what's been going on next door."

"Well, like I told you before, there's this guy. He only comes at night. Least, that's the only time *I* ever saw him. He comes in a big car. It drops him off down there," the boy pointed down the street, "and he walks to the house. The first day I saw him, he was carrying this big bag."

"Just the first day?"

"Yeah."

"How many times have you seen him, Mitchell?"

"I don't know...three or four."

"I know you said he comes at night, but do you think you can describe him?"

"Well....he wears a suit. He walks real straight...you know, like my mother is always tellin' me to do...I don't think he's as tall as you, but he's not real short, either. Not *real* skinny, but thin, I guess I'd say. I think he had white or blonde hair. Hard to tell in the dark. Real neat."

Fox's squinted down at the boy. "When's the last time you saw him?"

The boy shook his head. "Not last night...Tuesday. And I thought I saw more than one person go inside the house that night. But they were all wearing dark clothes and they moved so fast, I couldn't really tell how many."

Shit...shit, shit...what the hell is going on, here?

"Is there anything else you can tell me? Have you seen anything else? Anybody on the street that didn't look familiar...a face...a car..."

"The only people I saw around here all day, were the guys who came to get your rug."

"My....what?"

"There was a carpet truck outside of your house yesterday, and they carried a rolled-up carpet out from the back."

Fox's head started to pound. "Mitchell, I didn't have any carpets taken out. Are you sure they were coming from *my* house?"

"Yeah. Positive. They didn't come from the front, though, " he insisted. "They came from the back."

"God....oh, Jesus....Mitchell, think. Were there any words on the truck? A company name?"

"I guess there was, but I don't remember what it said."

"*Please*, Mitchell. This is so important. Please, *think*."

The little boy closed his eyes, concentrating, then opened them. There was deep frustration in his tone. "I don't know, I can't *remember*."

Fox buried his face in his hands. "God....God...."

"It was green, though! That I remember. A dark green."

Fox raised his head, hope sparkling in his eyes. "Okay, that's good. That's great. Is there anything else? Anything at all?"

The boy shook his head. "No, sorry. If anything else comes to me, I'll let you know right away."

Fox hugged the little boy to his side. "Thank you, Mitchell. You've been a huge help."

Fox jumped to his feet, seeing Scully's car pull up into the driveway. He sent the little boy on his way, and ran to meet her. He threw her door open and pulled her from the car. "We may have just gotten the break we needed."

"What happened?"

Fox hurried her into the house, explaining what Mitchell had just told him.

"And you're sure he's not making this up? Little boys are notorious for creating their own adventures."

"I know. But I explained it to him, Scully. He knows how important this is. He isn't making it up." He didn't tell her what he was thinking. Not yet.

"Well, okay. First thing we have to do is compile a list of all the carpet places in the area. Then see which of them has a green truck. I'll call the guys. The more people on this, the better."

"All right, listen, while you're doing this, I'll go see the other neighbors. Maybe there's something somebody can add."

Before Scully had a chance to respond, her partner was out the door. She picked up the phone and dialed their friends.

Alex blinked again and again, unable to totally clear his vision. His head felt like it weighed a ton, and his mouth felt like it was lined in cotton. A smooth voice loomed somewhere in the distance, curling around his nerves and squeezing like a python.

"Have a restful night, Alexei?"

Fuck you.

He wanted to say it out loud; tried to, but his mouth would not form the words. He heard the door unlock and the sound of footsteps. There was a gentle depression of the mattress, then a hand...light...delicate...stroking his cheek.

"Wes is dead," the soft voice stated. "I'm sorry, you don't know him by name, do you? He's the man you cut open last night. He died early this morning. The blood loss was just too great. So, that's three." Fingers whispered across his lips, then down his chin. Alex's throat worked convulsively as the fingers made their way down his neck, then to his chest. "You are lovely, Alexei. Exquisitely beautiful, but we simply cannot have this. You need to learn, darling. And there's no sense in putting off your first lesson."

Alex gritted his teeth and forced himself to say the words.

"I'll kill you."

"You're in no position to be doing anything of the kind, love..."

"Then if...I don't...Fox will..."

"*Fox*. You think he's going to be able to find you? Oh yes, I know he's a brilliant man, read all about him, but I was *very* careful. Believe me, beautiful one, he has no idea what happened to you."

"He'll figure it out."

"How? I was nothing more than a minor annoyance to you two years ago. Do you really think that he'll pull that up out of his memories and say, 'Oh yes, that man. He's the one.' What do you think the odds are on that? Pretty slim, I'll wager."

Alex's voice strengthened. "You have no...fucking idea who you're dealing with."

"Hmm? Are you talking about the lovely Fox? He hardly seems the violent type, despite his line of work. He seems very much more the thinking man. And being a thinking man, he'll be smart enough to know that he can't rely upon his FBI resouces to find you. Not without losing everything he's worked for all these years."

"What makes you think our relationship is a secret?"

Justin brushed his fingertips lightly across one nipple, drawing a low snarl from his captive. "Call it a hunch. No, my darling, I don't think he'll be willing to risk his career...no matter how good you are in bed..."

"Fuck you and your mother."

Justin tweaked the nipple, then moved to the other. "And that's another thing. One as beautiful as you should not speak in such a vulgar manner. It's unbecoming." He pulled on the other nipple, encouraging yet more curses. "No matter. We'll break you of that as well."

Alex looked up at the slightly fuzzy figure in front of him. "You'll have to kill me."

"Well now, I'm certainly hoping that isn't necessary. It isn't at all why I brought you here." Justin rose from the bed. "Gentlemen?"

A few pairs of hand grasped Alex tightly. The shackles were unlocked, and he was flipped, not without a fierce struggle, onto his stomach. The shackles were re-attached, and then he felt the cold, smooth caress of leather, sliding across his bare back.

"Pull his underwear down."

Alex tensed as more hands wrestled his underwear down his legs.

"Oh, my. What a lovely rear you have, darling. So smooth. So muscular..."

There was a quick whistling sound, then pain, as the belt crossed his back. Alex gritted his teeth, refusing to give Justin the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

Another. This one lower. Alex sank his teeth into his lip, making a small hurt, to try and ease the bigger one.

One more, landing straight across his ass. His muscles seized at the searing pain, but still he held it in.

The attack was quickly broken off after that third smack, and Justin squatted beside the bed, running his fingers over the welts that had already begun to form on Alex's skin. "You are a tough one, Alexei. Matthew begins whimpering before I even touch him."

Alex tried to focus through the screaming pain.

Matthew?

"I'm going to go easy on you today. Give you a chance to think about cooperating. If you choose more rebellion, the next lesson will seem extremely mild by comparison, I promise you." The older man rose to his feet and handed the belt to one of the men. He nodded in Alex's direction. "See to his wounds. *And*...treat him gently." He redirected his conversation to the man lying face down on the bed. "Alexei? I must leave you now. You will be taken very good care of, then someone will see to your breakfast. Please eat, darling, you haven't had anything since early yesterday, I would assume."

Alex lay quietly dealing with the pain, as Justin waltzed out the door, humming.

Fox came back in after an hour of questioning the remaining neighbors and checking out the house next door. No one had seen or heard anything suspicious in the area, but turning up nothing, did not put a damper on his energy.

"Got that list?"

"Yeah. God, Mulder, I didn't know how many carpet stores and cleaners there were around here. The fellas are on their way. They should be here shortly. I figure there are five of us, and...." she looked at the list, "thirty places to check out..."

"Thirty?"

"Yeah. So, that's six apiece. We can break the city up into sections and cover it that way."

Fox dug out a map of the city, and they plotted their course while waiting for the Gunmen to arrive. They were set and ready to go, forty minutes later.

"Okay, guys," Fox directed them. We're looking for a dark green van. As soon as you find a store with a van fitting that description, call me."

"There's one small problem," Langly called, stopping Fox before he reached the door.

"What?"

"We came in the two vehicles we have, but that still leaves us short one."

"Uh..." Fox ran his hand through his hair. He threw his keys at Byers. "Take my car." He walked into the kitchen and came back with another set of keys. "Okay, let's go."

The other four departed, leaving Fox at the garage. He opened the door and walked in, running his hand over the gleaming black metal of Alex's Porsche.

Alex loved this car. Not long after they got back from Andros, he dragged Fox car shopping with him. After three dealers and countless cars, he finally found this one. They took it for a long test drive, and when Alex pulled off the road and parked in a secluded spot, Fox looked at him suspiciously.

"Alex, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Alex purred, even while dragging him into the back seat.

Alex unceremoniously yanked his zipper down and sucked him off there in the middle of nowhere. Fox came quickly and violently, his harsh groans of pleasure vibrating through the small compartment. He collapsed against the seat, trying to get his breathing under control, while his lover licked him clean.

"Well," Alex giggled when he'd finished, "I guess we gotta get it now..."

Fox rested his forehead on the roof, taking a few deep breaths, then opened the door and got inside. A turn of the key, and the car rumbled to life. He backed out of the garage, and drove off toward his first destination.

Late afternoon.

Not that there was a clock in the room or a window to see out of, but Alex knew. His internal clock never seemed to shut down.

He'd been held down after Justin left, whacked up again with whatever the hell they had in those syringes, cleaned up, released from the shackles, and left alone. Now, hours later, he awoke in a largely empty cage. Only the bed remained. No sheets, no blankets. The tables, the lamp and everything else he'd smashed, ripped, or crushed, were gone. He sat up slowly, fighting the dizziness, then stood on shaky legs and moved toward the small enclosure within the enclosure that housed the toilet and shower. The towels and toiletries were all removed. Only a single roll of bathroom tissue remained. Justin was taking not chances.

Fucking sonofabitch.

He stumbled back to the bed, fighting the wave of nausea that threatened to overtake him.

"God....oh, God..."

Alex lay carefully back onto the mattress, face down, closing his eyes against the crippling after effects of the shot. He wrapped his arms around himself, and withdrew. It had been a long while since he'd had to do this, but it didn't take him very long to transport himself away from this place.

Fox...where are you? I need you so much, baby. Please...

Here I am, Alex.

Fox...take me out of here. I'm cold, and I miss you, and I hurt so much.

I know, baby. Hang tight. Don't let him win. I love you, sweetheart....I love you...

Hold me, Fox. I'm so damn cold.

Alex's mind brought his lover closer, until he could actually feel the warmth of his Fox's arms around him.

Go to sleep, love. I've got you. I won't let go. Sleep...

Alex slipped into comforting darkness.

"Mulder."

"Yeah, Frohike, you got something for me?"

"Next to the last store. Small place on Mill."

"Dark green van?"

"Yep."

"Where on Mill?"

"Uh........six twenty-eight."

"I'll be there in fifteen."

The tires screeched as Fox made a fast right, and headed north. He punched the number two on his speed dial, and connected with Scully on the first ring.

"Scully."

"It's me. Frohike thinks they found the van."

"Thank God, because I just left the last store with absolutely nothing. I was almost afraid to call you with the news. Where am I heading?"

"Six twenty-eight Mill."

"I'll meet you there."

Fox disconnected and sped up, all the while praying that this was what they were looking for.

Five minutes sooner than he said he'd be there, he arrived in front of Phil's Carpet Emporium. Not waiting for Scully, he tore into the building, followed by his three friends.

"Hey, guys," a short, rotund man came from around the counter to greet them. "What can I do you for?"

"I need to see Phil," Fox answered curtly.

The man held his arms out. "You got 'im."

"Phil, I need to ask you a few questions..."

"Sure," the man interrupted. "Any question you got about carpeting, I can answer. You lookin' for indoor/outdoor, throw, wall to wall..."

"I'm not here to ask you about carpeting." Fox reached into his back pocket and produced his badge and ID."

"FBI....shit." Phil backed off a few steps. "What do you want with me?"

"I told you. I want to ask you a few questions."

Phil shrugged nervously. "Okay..."

"Where was your van yesterday?"

"Uh...out on jobs...I don't...I don't understand..."

"There's reason to believe that your van was used in a kidnapping."

"Wh...what? I can't...that's not..." The man fell silent, glancing around the shop. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

Fox's eyes narrowed. "You won't mind if I search the van?"

"This is dumb. Listen, guy, I don't know what the hell...hey!" Phil followed the agent outside. "Hey, you can't do that!"

Fox ignored the man, throwing the sliding door open, and hopping up into the van. He opened the back door for more light, and proceeded to search the vehicle top to bottom. He squatted , checking every inch of the floor. Frohike watched his expression change when he reached down to pull out something that was wedged in a raised piece of metal. He held the roughly thirty-odd strands of sable hairs clenched tightly in his hand, and jumped out of the van. He grabbed Phil by the collar, spinning and slamming him into the side of the van.

"Where is he?"

"Who? I don't...I *swear*, I don't know who you're talking about!"

"Mulder!" Scully got out of her car and ran up to the group of men by the van. "Mulder, what are you doing?"

Fox didn't answer. He was too intent on getting the truth out of the man he was choking.

"Do you know what the penalty is for kidnapping, you fucking piece of..."

"Mulder!"

"You're nuts! I didn't kidnap *anybody*, I swear!"

"Mulder, let him go!"

"He knows something, Scully, I *know* he does!" Fox tightened his grip on the man's collar. "Say goodbye to your life, Phil..."

"Shit! Wait! Wait..."

Fox paused, then loosened his grip. "Got something to tell me, Phil?"

"Yeah...listen...I didn't kidnap anybody, I swear to Christ, but...there was this guy. He walked in to the store a few days ago, right at closing time, and asked to rent my van. I told...I told him that I didn't rent my van out. He dropped twenty-five grand on the counter and said it was mine if I let him use it for an afternoon. He said all I had to do was keep my mouth shut and forget I ever saw him..."

Fox stared at him in dismay. "Didn't it ever occur to you that he must have been up to no good?"

"No! Well...yeah, but...twenty-five grand, man....I'm a small businessman. I barely turn a profit. I got a wife and two kids. Do you know what I could do with that kind of cash? So yeah, the thought crossed my mind, but I let it slide right out."

"Your greed makes you an accessory..."

"Oh, shit, please. Please, sir. I'm sorry. I'm....please don't arrest me. I've never even had a parking ticket..."

Fox ignored his plea. "Tell me what he looked like."

"Umm.....he was rich. It wasn't just the green on my counter that tipped me off, it was also the way he moved. The way he talked. The way he was dressed..."

Fox's mind raced. "Give me a physical description."

Five-ten, maybe....medium build. Thin lips. Soft spoken. Uh....gray hair...his eyes...I wouldn't call them blue. They were sort of a grayish, too..."

The description knocked Fox back a few steps.

The same man he was sure he'd seen in New York. The same description that the boy gave him this morning.

The asshole at the bar on Andros.

Gray hair and eyes. Impeccably dressed. Cultured. Polite.

Devouring them both with his eyes....

"God."

Scully stepped forward. "What is it, Mulder? Do you know who he's talking about?"

He turned toward his partner. "I think I do. Oh, God." His snapped back around to Phil. "He didn't give you his name?"

"No. But...hey....I probably got him on tape!"

Fox cocked his head.

"Yeah! Oh shit, why didn't I think of it? I got a security camera inside. This isn't the best neighborhood in the world, you know? So I had a camera installed about six months ago. I haven't taken the tape out of it yet this week, so it must still be in there."

Fox shoved him toward the door. "Let's go see."

The six people entered the store, and Phil set about retrieving the tape from the camera. They went into the back room, and he set it up.

Fox chewed his lip impatiently, while Phil forwarded through yard after yard of tape. Finally, he stopped it.

"Here. Here's Monday's footage."

They watched customer after customer enter and leave the store. Then Fox walked toward the television and leaned in front of it.

"Jesus Christ. Freeze it there."

Scully moved in for a closer look. "That man looks familiar, Mulder. Where do I know him from?"

"The club on Andros," Fox replied softly.

"Oh....oh, you're kidding."

"Oh my God, Scully. This bastard has Alex."

The Gunmen looked from one to the other, then finally at Fox. Byers spoke up first.

"Do you know his name?"

Fox turned bloodshot eyes on his companions. "No."

"I know his last name, if it's any help."

Six sets of eyes turned toward the door.

"How do you know, Andy? Uh....this is Andy. He's one of my installers."

Fox strode over to the man. "How do you know?"

"As they were leaving, I was coming out the side door. I heard one of the guys he was with call him Mr. Saint James."

Fox closed his eyes. "Thank you Andy, you just made this a lot easier." He faced his friends. "You guys think you can track this asshole down on a still from this camera and a last name?"

Frohike snorted. "What are we, amateurs?"

"Let's go."

"Hey!" Phil called to the retreating group. "Uh...am I off the hook?"

Fox stared vacantly for a moment. "Only if I get him back."

Phil watched, competely bewildered, as the door closed behind the last man out.

Justin watched his captive pass from sleep to consciousness.

"Good morning, Alexei."

Alex shuddered as the soft voice shocked him into reality.

Fox, don't leave me.....Fox?

"Alexei....darling.....wakey wakey...."

"Go to hell, cocksucker," he managed softly, turning his back to Justin.

Justin shook his head. "Did you learn nothing, yesterday?"

"Did you expect I would?"

"I hoped." Justin looked at the untouched food from the previous evening. "Alex, you must eat."

"I don't have to do a goddamn thing for you."

"Yes, my beautiful, rebellious Alexei...you do."

"*Fuck* you!"

Shit, that hurt. Alex gritted his teeth against the throbbing of his head.

"I'll have breakfast sent in. Now, if I have to have someone tie you down and force feed you, I will."

"Bring em on, bitch."

Justin closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. "I'll be in later to check on you."

Alex listened to the door open and close. A few minutes later, the door opened again and he spun unsteadily to his feet, hearing multiple, heavy footsteps.

"Have a seat, sweetie pie," one of the men sneered, "We're here to serve you breakfast."

Alex shook the fog off, preparing himself.

Seven men entered the cage, leaving one outside. In the ensuing struggle, Alex broke one man's nose, fractured another's arm, and knocked three teeth from another's mouth. Those men fled the cage in search of medical assistance, while the remaining four wrestled him to the bed and held him there.

"Come on now, you bastard," the man closest to his face, grated. "Eat this fucking oatmeal." He held Alex's nose, then forced the spoon into his mouth. He kept the stuggling man's nose pinched, until he had no choice but to swallow. "There, was that so bad?"

Another spoonful.

This one came back in his face.

"Shit! I swear to God, I'd beat the shit out of you, fucker, if Mr. Saint James wouldn't bust my chops. Now eat this shit!"

The man tried again.

Alex found the grip on one of his arms slackening just a bit, as the man who held it, laughed at the other with oatmeal on his face. He slackened his body and let his mouth drop open just a little.

"That's better."

The idiot thought he'd won.

Alex allowed him to place the spoon in his mouth, then clamped his teeth down on the metal, and twisted his head away, ripping the handle from the surprised man's hand. He quickly wrenched his arm from the other's grasp, and took the spoon. Before anyone could blink, the sharp handled end of the spoon was in the man's throat.

Alex watched, cold satisfaction in his eyes, as the man fell off of him, gurling and gasping.

The other men scrambled, two fighting to get Alex shackled while the other one tried drag the dying man out of the cage. The last man who until now had been on the outside of the cage, burst in to help the two struggling with the man who fought wildly against them. Finally, they managed to get him restrained and get themselves out of the cage.

"This is bullshit," one of them gasped, as the men hauled their wounded friend out of the room. "I don't know about you guys, but there's no amount of money in the world that'll make me go back in there..."

"Hey....hey!" Bob came running down the hall. He looked down at the man with the spoon protruding from his throat, and jumped out of the way. He followed the men into an east room, where they placed the other down on the floor. "Shit! What the hell happened?"

"What the fuck do you *think* happened? That asshole that Mr. Saint James brought here. He's insane....fuck! I think Gene's dead."

Bobby checked for vitals. Finding none, he lowered his head. "We gotta convince Mr. Saint James to get rid of this guy," he said softly, "if we don't, he's gonna go through us all until there's nobody left."

"Yeah, well, not *me*. I quit. Look how many of us he's killed in what? Two days? Fuck this!"

Bob rose to his feet. "I gotta call him. Let him know what's happened."

"Yeah, you do that, so I can tell him to his face that I'm *out*."

"What about *him*?"

"What *about* him?"

"What did you do to him?"

"We restrained him and got the hell out of there."

"You didn't do anything else?"

"We didn't beat the shit out of him if that's what you want to know, although I'm tempted as all hell to go back in there and do just that."

"Just don't, okay? It'll only make things worse."

"How? He's chained up."

"Listen, Alan, don't piss him off. Like you said, this guy is insane. Just let Saint James decide how to deal with him." Bob went to the house phone and called for their employer. He raked his fingers through his hair, trying to decide how best to approach the man when the phone was answered. "Get Mr. Saint James.............sir? It's Bob. Sir, we've got another situation down here..."

Fox rubbed at his eyes and tried to blink away the stinging, sandy feel.

The search for this Saint James asshole proved to be a little tougher than they'd hoped.

The man had money. That much was obvious.

Okay, so they had that much to go on, but where to look from there? Nothing to do but start at the beginning and work their way through.

All night long, they hacked into DMV mainframes, checked into business listings and social registers. Drawing on his eidetic memory, Fox could recall no real discernible accent, so they started in their own backyard, checking the northern states. And since Fox had seen him in New York, that was the first state searched.

Five states later, it was six twenty-five a.m.

Langly and Scully had just awakened from a four hour nap, and attempted to relieve Fox.

"Come on, buddy," Langly tapped his shoulder. "We'll take over. You guys get some rest."

Frohike and Byers were exhausted and more than willing to finally get some shuteye. But Fox refused.

"No. I can't. You two go ahead. I'm fine."

"Mulder, you're not fine. You can't keep this up, you're going to drop. Now, come on. Langly and I will wake you the minute we find anything. *Please*."

Fox shook his head and refused to move.

"Mulder..."

"Nevermind, Byers." Scully looked at her intensely focused partner. "Nobody but Alex has a shot at making him do what he doesn't want to do.

Fox's eyes dropped shut at the mention of his lover's name.

"Mulder?"

Heavy lids lifted. "Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Fine. We were just about to do Rhode Island..."

"Alexei..."

No answer from the man chained face down to the bed.

"What have you done, now?"

More silence.

"You've killed another of my staff. That's four in all. Not to mention those you've incapacitated."

Finally, an answer. "Gee, I'm really sorry."

"I've also had three quit after this most recent encounter." Justin looked around at the remaining men standing behind him. "I have a very large property, which dictates that I have a very large security staff. In just a few days, you've managed to single-handedly whittle that staff down from twenty to nine. This must stop."

"Well hell, why didn't you just say so? Okay, bitch, I won't take away any more of your staff. Scout's honor."

Justin sighed. "I so hoped that a more severe lesson would not be necessary." He held his hand out, and accepted the leather belt. He advanced, unlocking the door and stepping inside the enclosure.

Alex's eyes squeezed shut and he fought to control his body's reaction as it absorbed the first blow.

"Say you're sorry, Alexei..."

Nothing.

Another blow.

"Apologize, and I'll stop."

"Fuck you."

Another.

Alex gritted his teeth against the searing pain. Still, he said nothing.

"The next one will be twice as hard, darling, if you don't say it now."

"All right. I'm sorry."

Justin smiled. "That's..."

"I'm sorry I didn't kill you two years ago, you sick, fucking hag."

Alex bit back a sob as the next strike drew blood.

Justin raised his arm, prepared to inflict another blow, then stopped. He lowered the belt and let it hang at his side. "You are a puzzle, dear Alexei. Another man would have crumbled by now. How did you become so hard?"

Alex didn't hear him. He'd made it to that place deep within himself where his Fox held and stroked him and promised him that everything would be all right.

Justin studied Alex, tapping the belt against the side of his leg.

All right, let's try another approach...

Greenwich, Connecticut.

Blake Industries.

Name of C.E.O., Justin Saint James.

There was no picture or home address, but reading all the available information, Fox felt sure that this was who they were looking for.

"Mulder," Scully raked her fingers through her hair, "are you sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Look at all this stuff, Scully. Look at all he's into...all the companies he's acquired. This is a hungry man. He wants it all and he doesn't stop until he gets it." Fox closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yeah, this is him. Let's go."

"Do I have to, Justin?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"Don't worry, Matthew. He's restrained. He can't hurt you." Justin caressed the young man's cheek. "I think you may do him some good. He's so terribly upset. The presence of someone more his age may help."

Matthew bowed his head. "If....if he's so upset, maybe...m-maybe you could just let him go..."

Justin chuckled softly. "After all the trouble I went through to bring him here? Now darling, that just would not do. Alexei must learn...and he will...that this is his home, now. But it may be eaier on him if he didn't feel so alone. You've got a gentleness about you that may be soothing to him." Justin draped an arm around Matthew's shoulders and walked him to the door. "See to his wounds. Take care of him. Talk to him. See what you can do to make him a little more comfortable."

"I don't know if I can."

"Of course you can. I have the utmost confidence in you." The two men walked through the house, heading slowly toward the northeast room. "Just be your sweet self and everything will be fine."

Matthew blanched when they entered the room and he saw the man in the cage. "Justin..."

"Yes?"

"His back...there's blood..."

"I didn't want to, Matthew, but our Alexei is a most stubborn man. He must be taught. Now, go on. I had Ron get the things you'll need to take care of him."

Matthew looked from the motionless man back to Justin, who unlocked the door and shooed him in. Seeing no other choice, he walked through the open door. He flinched as he heard the bars clank shut.

"I'll check in with you later, darling."

"Y-you're not staying?"

Justin shook his head. "I don't think that would be such a good idea. My presence upsets him, still. You'd do better, I believe, if I was not present. Not to worry, though, Ron will be right outside the room should you need him."

Matthew watched in terrified silence as Justin exited the room, followed by the guard. He hesitated, then slowly turned and faced the still figure on the bed. Silently, he crept around to the stand on the other side of the bed, and without looking at Alex, took the small wash basin into the bathroom and filled it with warm water. When he returned, he risked a glance and almost jumped out of his skin when he found himself fixed with a watery green stare. The eyes followed him as he composed himself and moved tentatively toward the bed. He willed his knees to bend, and sank down to the floor.

"I'm..." he cleared his throat and tried again, "I-I'm not here to hurt y-you."

Alex finished with his assessment of the younger man, then spoke. "You're Matthew," the soft, raspy voice said.

"How...how did you know?"

Alex gave no answer. He only continued to stare.

Matthew heaved a deep breath and dipped a fluffy terry cloth into the water. "This might sting a little, but I have to clean you up, okay?"

The green eyes closed.

Matthew wrung out the cloth, and touched it to the blood-encrusted cut.

Alex's muscles tightened, but he didn't make a sound, while the frightened man gently cleaned and treated his wounds. When he was finished, he took the basin and other items into the bathroom, then returned. He squatted again by the bed, and curiously studied the retrained man. Heavy sable lashes lifted, and Matthew looked away.

"You know he's crazy," the pain-edged voice reached his ear.

"The cut on your back isn't as bad as it first seemed," Matthew looked everywhere but into the other man's eyes. "It shouldn't leave too bad a scar..."

"You don't want to be here any more than I do...do you?"

"Are you hungry? I could get you something."

Jesus, this kid was scared to death. Alex backed off a little. "No."

"But you haven't...you haven't eaten anything since you got here. It's going to make you weak."

"The only thing I want from that asshole is his head on a plate."

Matthew flinched, then whispered, "you shouldn't say things like that."

"Why not?"

"He'll hear you. You don't want to be whipped again, do you?"

Alex observed the young man curiously. "He's really got you scared, hasn't he?"

No answer.

"How long have you been here?"

"Almost seven months."

"Did that fucker take you from your family, like he did to me?"

"No...no, I came to Justin on my own."

"I don't believe you. He kidnapped you, didn't he?"

"*No*. No, really..."

Alex went quiet, thinking back to the first time he and Fox had encountered Justin. He was smooth. Charming. Polite, even. He offered them everything under the sun. Everything a young, impressionable, lonely young person could want...

His gaze snapped back up to wary, aqua eyes. "He tricked you. And now you're trapped."

Matthew looked down, watching the thumb of one hand, rhythmically rub back and forth across the knuckles of the other.

"Matthew."

The young man stopped and looked up at Alex.

"I really gotta take a piss."

"Oh....uh....wait...wait a minute. I'll see..." Matthew rose to his feet and went to the door. "Ron..Ron, you there?"

The door swung open and the guard poked his head in. "What?"

"Could you...can you unchain him so he can use to bathroom?"

The guard looked from Matthew to the man who still lay with his head turned in the other direction. "I don't know. I'll call Mr. Saint James." He closed the door, and a couple of minutes later, entered the room. "He said okay, but I gotta watch him." The man unlocked the cage door, then released Alex from the bed. He arranged the shackles so that Alex's hands were cuffed in front of his body, and attached to a chain that ran up from the ankle restaints. He walked him into the bathroom and stood in the doorway. "No funny shit, now."

Alex jerked his hands back and forth only as far as the restraints allowed, then reached into the fold of his underwear. "What do you think I'm gonna do, beat you to death with my dick?"

The guard folded his arms across his chest and snorted. As soon as Alex was finished, he took him back to the bed and pushed him down. "Get comfortable."

Alex looked up at him, then searched for a good position. Finally, he settled on his right side, and the guard attached a chain to one of the five links between the ankle cuffs, then to the foot of the bed. When he was satisfied Alex wasn't going anywhere, he left the cage and the room.

Matthew approached cautiously. "Feel better?"

"I don't feel like my bladder is going to explode, if that's what you want to know."

"How about your back?"

"Still hurts, but I'll live."

Matthew nodded. "Would you like anything else? Some water, maybe?"

Alex eyed him doubtfully.

Matthew picked up the styrofoam cup Justin had provided along with the other items. "I'll get it right out of the tap in the bathroom. I promise you, no drugs."

Alex studied him for a moment, then nodded.

Matthew disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared seconds later, with a half cup full of cold water. "Can you...can you sort of...lift yourself up on your elbow?"

Alex struggled into the recommended postion, and accepted the contents of the cup raised to his lips. When he drained the cup, Matthew moved it away.

"More?"

Alex shook his head, and lowered himself back to the mattress. Matthew sat on the floor, a few feet from the bed.

"You...you mentioned family..."

"Yeah."

"Parents?"

Alex closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. He hadn't planned to answer, but then had a thought. Justin was listening...probably watching as well, and he figured nothing would irritate the bastard more, than to hear Fox's name over and over. Far be it from him to pass up an oportunity to piss him off. He opened his eyes and looked over at Matthew.

"No parents. Fox is my family."

"Fox?"

"My lover. For three years, he's been my family. We have a home together...a dog...friends. I have a *life*, Matthew, do you understand that? And I want it back. I want my Fox back. I love him so much. He's looking for me, I know he is. And he won't rest until he finds me. And there's going to be hell to pay."

Hope flashed in Matthews eyes for a brief second, then extinguished. "He won't find you."

"You don't know my Fox," Alex rasped confidently. "Apparently, neither does that asshole Justin."

"Justin leaves nothing to chance," Matthew replied sadly. "He covers all the angles. You're here to stay."

"Not a chance in hell," Alex smiled, a bright gleam coating one eye. "Even if I'm wrong about Fox being able to find me, which I'm *not*...I will *not* stay here. I'll die first."

"You...you'd kill yourself?"

An exitstence without my Fox is the equivalent of a stay on death row. I will *not* live with that." Alex turned his head and spoke into the air. "You hear that, motherfucker? Any way you cut it, you *will* *not* have me."

Matthew watched the man, fascinated. His strength was was astounding. His conviction...his obstinance...he could almost believe... His eyes fell away from Alex, and closed.

Justin would break him.

He stayed with Alex the entire day, sometimes talking quietly, sometimes not saying a word for more than an hour. When the door opened at seven o'clock, he unfolded himself from the floor, and looked down at the man who he had come to like, and even fear just a little bit less.

"Alex?"

Tired green eyes blinked up at him.

"Can't I bring you something to eat?"

Alex shook his head and turned away.

"You've had two glasses of water all day. You need food..."

Silence.

Matthew sighed and walked out the open door.

end...

Feedback: Yes, please. You can reach me at 

 

* * *

 

The Best Laid Plans  
Part Four

* * *

"I can't believe we're in here, Mulder," Scully whispered. "What if this isn't even the man we're looking for? We would have broken into a completely innocent man's office *and* computer system." 

"I'll just add him to the list of people I'm going to have to apologize to after all this." He checked his watch as he pulled out the chair and motioned for Langly to sit. "I hope Frohike remembers to let Clyde out."

Twenty minutes later, Langly was in.

"Yes! Okay baby, give daddy what he needs..."

Fox leaned over the desk, trembling with anticipation. "Come on, come on..."

"Look," Scully pointed to the screen. "Picture files."

Langly opened the first one, revealing a group of men that Fox didn't recognize. The second, a smaller group of men. Again, none of them recognizable.

A furious gasp fell from Fox's lips as Langly opened the third picture.

"That's him. That's *him*. I knew it." He whirled around and began to pace in a short line. "Find his address, Langly."

"Mulder," Scully called, following her partner with her eyes. "Mulder, calm down. We have no concrete proof that this man took Alex..."

Fox stopped in his tracks, giving the redhead an incredulous stare. "Are you kidding? "He *bought* the house next door to us...*cash*...at *twice* the price...he only came at night...he rented a carpeting van that just *happened* to be outside of my house on the day that Alex disappeared."

"I know, Mulder. I know all of that, but the fact is, no one actually saw him take Alex. We can't go storming into the man's house to look for him."

"The fuck we can't."

"Mulder..."

"Look, Scully...you don't want to come with me, you don't have to. But I *am* going to his house. And I'm not leaving there until I find Alex. Langly, you got that address?"

Langly threw up his hands momentarily, then went back to typing. "I'm looking, but.....I can't....I don't see it anywhere."

"It *has* to be there." Fox turned and started throwing drawers open, tearing through the contents of each.

"Mulder!" Scully's eyes darted between her increasingly unmanageable partner and the mess he was making of the office. "Mulder, you can't do this..."

"I can't?" Fox pulled out another drawer and inverted it. "Whoops. Too late."

"Oh, my God...God....." Scully threw up her hands and joined the man pawing through the mountain of papers. "Ah hell, we can only be fired once, right?"

"You see, Matthew?" Justin took a sip of his wine, then placed the glass back on the table. "I told you that you'd be able to communicate with him."

Matthew picked at the food in his plate. "He's so..."

"So what?"

"He's so unhappy."

Justin remained silent.

Matthew glanced up at the benign expression on the older man's face, then continued. "He won't eat. I got him to drink a little water, but he needs to eat."

"He will."

"I don't know. He doesn't want to be here..."

Justin drummed his fingers on the table. "I heard."

"He wants to go home...to Fox."

The crash of the china frightened Matthew out of his chair. He shrank into a corner of the room, watching wide-eyed as Justin stalked back and forth.

"You're on *my* side, Matthew, not his!"

"I...I'm not...I'm just...I'm..I'm just telling you..."

"You feel sorry for him. You are *such* a weakling, do you know that?" Justin approached, stopping when they were face to face. "He's *mine*. As are *you*. Remember your place Matthew, or I'll have to remind you." He lifted a hand to the shaking man's face, and gently drew his fingertips down his cheek. "And I promise you," he purred, "it will not be pleasant. Understood?"

Matthew closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "Yes...yes, Justin."

The older man gave him a dazzling smile. "That's my good Matthew. Now, come. Let's finish dinner, shall we?"

Matthew followed Justin back to the table on wobbly legs. Justin slid the chair in while he sat, then planted a light kiss in his hair, before returning to his own seat.

"Now..." Justin picked up his napkin and smoothed it over his lap. "Let me tell you about this little plan I've concocted to encourage our Alexei's...acquiescence..."

"What the hell took you so long?" Byers asked as the three piled into the car he'd been waiting in." He looked to Fox, who rested his elbow against the door and had his face buried in his hand. "Didn't find anything?"

"Yes," Scully answered, "we did find out that we're definitely on the right track. "We found some pictures of him, but no address."

"You're kidding. That's impossible."

"Not neccessarily. If the man wants to insure the anonimity of his residence, it wouldn't be so unusual for him to keep it out any office records..."

"But *somebody* knows. Somebody who works there."

"But tomorrow is Saturday...correction," he said, looking at his watch, "*today* is Saturday. Offices aren't generally open on Saturdays, so..."

"So we got a few addresses of the employees."

Byers shook his head. "What makes you think that any of them are going to tell you where he lives?"

"Somebody's going to tell me," Fox vowed. "Let's find this first address."

"Mulder," Scully pleaded softly, knowing it would do her no good, "it's after one o'clock. Why don't we go back to the motel and try to get a few hours sleep? We'll start out early..."

"And waste another few hours?"

"You've had no sleep, Mulder."

"And I won't sleep until Alex is back home." If you three want to go back to the motel, go. I'll do this alone."

"Mulder, listen to me," Scully leaned over the seat and drew her partner's head back against hers. She spoke softly into his ear, while stroking her thumb across the three-day growth of beard. "I love Alex. I do..." Fox grunted and tried to twist away, but she wouldn't let him. "How could I not love someone who makes my best friend so happy? You've got to know how much I want to find him. But Mulder, you're operating on sheer adrenaline. I've got to think for the both of us, and I really think that you need some rest. You're starting to scare me."

"Not until I find him."

"Mulder..."

"*No*....I...I can't, Scully." The look in Fox's eyes almost brought his partner to tears. He brought a hand up to his chest, clenching his fingers in the material. "I've only felt an ache like this one other time in my life. I hope...I hope you never find out first hand what it feels like."

Scully's eyes dropped shut, and she brought her lips to the side of Fox's face. "Okay, Mulder. I'm with you to the end of this." She turned to the two men who sat quietly watching. "We can drop you guys off at the motel..."

"No way," Langly spoke up. "I didn't come this far to crash in a motel room."

"Me either," Byers agreed. He looked into the exhausted, red-rimmed eyes of his friend. "We go together."

Byers started the car and pulled away from the curb. Seconds later, another car quietly followed.

"Justin, *please*. It's not right, it's not...don't make me do this."

"Go on, Matthew. It's all right, he's been injected with a light sedative."

"It'll devastate him."

"You know this from one afternoon with the man, hmm?"

"I don't need a month with him to know that he's absolutely devoted to..."

"*Don't* say it." Justin caressed the back of Matthew's head. "Don't you understand, darling, that our lovely Alexei needs to be taken down a few pegs? And as he *is* so faithful to...*him*, this will be a very good way to accomplish that. It's only been a few days, and while I have no doubt that he *will* learn, I fear he may not do so within the two months time that Morgan and I set for our bet."

"Bet?"

"Yes, darling, ten thousand dollars is not an outrageous amount of money, but nonetheless, you know how I do hate to lose. So...in you go."

The tone in Justin's voice told Matthew that he meant business. He slowly walked into the room and paused while Justin unlocked the barred entrance to the cage. The door closed and locked behind him, and he turned to try one more time, to change Justin's mind.

"Please, Justin. Isn't there any other way?"

Justin seated himself and turned on a single lamp, casting a faint glow around the room. He smiled sweetly at the young man. "Make it good, Matthew."

Matthew blinked back the sudden sting of tears as he moved to the bed and looked down at the unconscious man. He'd been turned onto his back and his wrists and ankles cuffed to the four points of the bed. Matthew hoped that the sedative had taken effect quickly, or he feared Alex would have been in a moderate amount of pain, lying on his wounds like this.

He kneeled beside the bed and bowed his head. "Please, forgive me," he whispered too softly for Justin to hear. Then he did as he'd been commanded.

Alex drifted in the silent blackness, aware of nothing.

But now...a gentle warmth seemed to be invading his body. Lovely little tingles, radiating from the vicinity of his groin, spreading to his extremities, growing slowly in intensity. He floated upward, toward consciousness, but it seemed just beyond his grasp. The moist heat enveloping his cock was now recognizable as a mouth, but he couldn't open his eyes. Couldn't sigh or gasp...nothing to let his Fox know how good it felt.

He struggled with the dark fog that gripped him, gaining a bit of ground with every stroke of the tongue over his rigid length. And every little piece of consciousness that came back to him brought with it a slice of reality, until he had enough to realize.

Finally, a sound escaped his throat, but not one of pleasure.

"No...." He fought to open his eyes. "No....*no*! *S-stop*...no, *please*!"

Matthew paused, Alex's frantic pleas ripping into his gut.

"Don't stop, Matthew," the soft, slightly out of breath voice sounded from outside the cage. "Remember, he's restrained.....*I* am not."

Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, and continued working Alex's cock with his mouth, sucking and swallowing, trying desperately to block out the anguished cries that sounded above his head.

Alex screamed his rage, knowing that he was too far gone to stop the inevitable climax, but still, he tried. When he felt the familiar tightening of his body, he gritted his teeth, pressing his lips together over them, and came silently down Matthew's throat. When it was done, the tears came. They rolled freely down his cheeks, leaving a scalding path of dampness in their wake. Cool air replaced the warm mouth, and his emotions came crashing down on him. His chest heaved as loud sobs wracked his body.

Matthew fell back against against the bars, crying quietly into his hands.

"Lovely." The voice came closer, and Alex choked back his cries. "How do you feel, Alexei? Matthew isn't bad, is he? Oh, not as good as you've been used to, I suppose...he doesn't throw his whole heart and soul into it, but I believe you can teach him how, and he could be just as good as your...*Fox*. Hmmm....Fox. Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox...do you think he'd enjoy a copy of this?"

Alex suppressed another sob.

"I know you realize that I observe you. Surely you know I've got you videotaped. I think the lovely Fox would so appreciate knowing that you were all right. This would be a good way to let him know, don't you think?"

No answer.

"Oh, but where is my head? You must be tired, darling. Matthew and I will leave you alone now. Matthew? Come, love. Let's allow Alexei to get some rest."

The young man rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled from the cage and out of the room. Justin locked the door and pressed his face against the bars. "I'll see about getting a copy of that tape off to Fox by Monday, all right?"

An infuriated roar sounded from Alex's throat, and he thrashed wildly against his restraints. "You fucking *bastard*! You're going to die, I swear to *God*! You goddamn fucking *faggot*!"

Justin heaved a disbelieving sigh. If Alex continued to thrash like that, those restraints would begin to cut into his wrists and ankles. He unlocked the door an advanced toward the bed. He pulled a syringe from his pocket, cooing softly to irritated man.

"Now now darling, keep still..." He managed to jab Alex with the needle, then watched satisfied, as the younger man's wild movements slowed. "That's better," he stroked the sweaty forehead. "You were going to wear yourself out, and we can't have that."

Alex's head rolled back and forth across the flat pillow, as he began to whimper and sob. Soon, all sounds faded, and he was alseep.

Justin inspected his wrists, then his ankles. Bruises were already starting to form. If swelling occured, the restraints would become extremely painful. He reached into his pocket for the key and unlocked the cuffs. Dropping the key back into its place, he checked his watch. Almost three o'clock. He'd have someone come in at eight and put them back on. By then, any swelling would have happened already, and the restraints could be adjusted accordingly.

Justin leaned over and drew his tongue along the line of Alex's jaw. "Sleep well, darling. I hope you wake up with a better outlook on things." He stifled a yawn as he moved out of the enclosure, and then the room.

"I still can't believe the look on that guy's face when you threw him against his kitchen counter and drew your gun on him," Langly snickered at Fox, as he drove toward Darien. A glare from Scully put him in check.

Fox glanced over at his partner, then back to the early morning sky. "I got the answers I wanted, didn't I?"

Scully dropped her head into her hand and closed her eyes. "Yes, Mulder. Yes, you did. God, I hope you're right about this."

Fox gave no answer. He sat with his eyes now closed, praying silently, and trying to connect with Alex. He'd felt him so strongly on Thursday morning. It was no dream. He *heard* him. He knew he did...

"We should be coming to the exit, soon."

Langly's comment startled him out of his thoughts. He nodded, then looked back at Scully and Byers. Both gave him an encouraging smile. He turned back to the front, and again closed his eyes.

Alex's eyes fluttered and he groaned softly.

Something wrapped around him.

Arms...his own.

Realizing that he was no longer restrained, he struggled to sit up, but could not call up the strength. Instead, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and let himself drop to the floor. He made it about a foot and a half from the bed, then again lapsed into unconsciousness.

The car hadn't even rolled to a complete stop, and Fox was throwing the door open. He ejected the clip from his gun, checked it, and slammed it back in, as he approached the guardhouse. Scully ran after him, motioning for Langly and Byers to keep back.

"Can I help you?" The rather large man asked, as he exited the structure.

Fox whipped his badge out, shoving it in the man's face. "Special Agent Mulder. FBI. This is the residence of Justin Saint James." It was an accusation, not a question.

"Yeah. So?"

"He's wanted on suspicion of kidnapping. Let us in."

"You got a warrant?"

"Yeah." Faster than anyone could blink, Fox hurled the man against the house and pointed his Sig between his eyes. "Can you read that?"

"Hey...come on, man. You can't shoot me. You're a federal agent."

"And?" Fox rumbled close to his face.

The man drew a shaky breath and said nothing else.

"You got him, Scully?"

"Yeah." Scully fixed her weapon on the guard, while Fox spun him around and dragged him over to the controls.

"Open the gate. One wrong move and I swear to God, I'll splatter your fucking brains."

The gate slid open, and Langly drove the car in. Fox pulled the man over to a section of the gate where he could reach nothing, and cuffed him to it. "Are there any more obstacles between here and the house?"

"No...no. None."

"There'd better not be."

"No. I swear."

Fox nodded. "If I find him and he's all right, I'll think about not coming back here to kill you." He tapped the guard's cheek twice...hard, then fell in behind the wheel of the car. The other three were just about inside, when the tires spun on the pavement, and the car sped forward, toward the house.

A minute later, the car was screeching to a stop in front of the doors. Fox leapt from the car, encountering two unfortunate, early risers. They'd heard the squeal of the tires, and came running from around the side of the house, guns drawn. Fox took one, Scully, the other.

"FBI! Drop it!"

One man aimed to shoot, and Fox dropped him with a clean shot to the head.

With his companion dead, the other man quickly dropped his weapon. Fox grabbed him and slammed him face first into the stone wall of the house. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The man Saint James kidnapped and brought here!"

"Hey, man, I don't know what the fuck..." Fox pulled him back and slammed him harder into the wall. *Shit*! Look...I'm...I'm not house help, okay? I cover the grounds. I heard...I heard something about it, but I swear to Christ, I never actually seen him, okay?"

"So, he *is* here."

"Yeah...yeah, that's what I heard."

"And it's just fine with you that your employer is a heartless bastard who snatches people from their homes against their will..." Fox smashed the man's head into the wall once more, and letting him drop into a senseless heap on the ground. "Piece of shit."

"Mulder...Mulder, come on. You're losing it, here..."

Fox gave no indication that he'd heard his partner. He whirled around and headed for the front door, jumping back in surprise, when the heavy wood yielded to his push. He stormed into the house, gun drawn, and began to shout Alex's name.

Scully cast a frightened look in the direction of their two companions. "God, if no one was awake before, they soon will be."

The three followed Fox through the house, encountering no resistance until the second floor.

"Hey. Hey! A man ran toward them, preparing to draw a gun from the waistband of his pants. Fox turned and met him the rest of the way, inflicting on the man, a fast and merciless beating. Scully shot the second man who'd appeared from down the hall and had taken a wild shot at her partner. Fox merely stepped over both men and resumed his search.

"Alex!"

"Mulder..."

"*Aleeeex*!"

"Mulder!" Scully caught up to him. "You're going to get yourself, and maybe us, killed, doing it this way." She grabbed his arm, trying to bring him to a halt. "Mulder, are you listening?"

He wasn't. He wrenched her hand away and continued on, searching room after room, roaring Alex's name. Fifteen minutes and two more dead guards later, they came to a locked door in the northeast corner of the third floor. Fox backed off a couple of steps, then kicked the door in. He froze for a split second, taking in the sight of the steel cage, then his gaze fell to the motionless figure on the floor. The sight of the angry red marks on the back, which was turned to him, hit him with the force of an oncoming train.

"Alex."

Half sobbed, half whispered.

Fox moved to the bars, calling to his unconscious lover. When Alex still showed no sign of movement, he went wild, throwing himself against the door, and shaking the bars with all his strength. When the steel did not give, he began to pick up objects...anything he could lift, smashing them against the bars while Scully, Byers and Langly turned the room upside down, looking for a key.

Another presence in the room stopped them cold. Justin Saint James stood in the doorway, shock registering on his face. By the time it occured to him to turn and flee, Fox had him by the throat, against the door. "Open the door," he ground softly from between clenched teeth.

Justin coughed, then regained some of his composure. "Well...if it isn't the lovely Fox. I suppose I should have taken Alexei's faith in you more to heart. My mistake."

"One of many, you dirty, fucking son of a bitch. Open the goddamn door."

"I heard that there were intruders in the house. Naturally, I didn't quite believe it, but just to be cautious, I left the key in a safe place."

"Where is it?"

"You think I'd tell you?" Justin began to laugh. "Not likely. You know, Fox, you had your chance. Two years ago, remember? We could have all three been a happy family by now."

"You're out of your mind."

"Well..." Justin coughed, "..be that as it may, Alexei is mine. And I will not give him up."

Fox went berserk. He slammed his fist into the older man's face, landing a crunching blow to his cheek. He drew his fist back and connected again and again. Scully came up from behind and tried to pull him off of the man who had now slumped to the floor, back against the doorframe. He spun around, shoving his partner away, then turned his attention back to the severely beaten man, punching him a few more times, then tearing at his clothing, looking for the key. When nothing turned up, he released an enraged cry, and attempted to resume his assault. Langly and Byers jumped into action, and with Scully's help, dragged Fox away.

"He hasn't got the key," Scully screamed at him, trying to reason through his fury. "Beating him to death is *not* going to help you find it!"

Fox wrenched himself away and made it back to the man, knocking his limp body over onto its side with a vicious kick. A sickening crack could be heard throughout the room with the second kick to the man's ribs.

"Mulder!" Scully placed herself between her crazed partner and the battered body. "Mulder, *please*!"

The manic gleam faded a bit from his eyes, and he turned, staggering toward the cage. Alex still lay in the same position they'd found him in, unmoving.

"Alex..."

No response.

"Baby...please....please wake up..."

Scully stooped to check on the man at her feet. She bowed her head, took a deep breath, then rose up. "He's dead," she said softly, to no one in particular. She turned her head just in time to watch her partner sink to the floor, reaching as far as he could into the cage, trying in vain to touch his lover. She turned to Langly and Byers, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "We have to find that key, guys. I don't care..."

"Agent Mulder....Agent Scully?"

"Who the hell is that?"

Scully stalked out of the room and almost collided with two other agents.

"Walker! Ashcroft? What the hell are you doing here?"

"A.D. Skinner had us follow Agent Mulder out of D.C."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He didn't give us any explanations. We were just supposed to follow Mulder and keep him apprised of whatever situation he thought might be developing. We lost you on the exit, that's what took us so long to get here." Ashcroft looked beyond Scully to the body in the doorway, and into the room. "What the bloody hell is going on, here?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain. I need to get that cage door open. Get some steel cutters up here...now."

Ashcroft nodded. "Will do."

As he went off to call for help, Scully came into the room and squatted beside her partner.

"Mulder....Mulder, listen to me. The cavalry is here, okay? We're going to get some cutters and get Alex out of there."

Fox sat quietly, his head leaning against the bars. His hand rested on the floor inside the cage, just inches from Alex's shoulder. "I can't touch him, Scully," he whispered hoarsely. "I need..." he inhaled a sob. "I need to touch him..."

"You will, Mulder. Just hang on a few minutes more, okay?"

"He's so still. So quiet. I can't see..." he began to panic, "I can't see him breathing..."

"Yes he is. I can see. Focus about mid point on his upper arm. You'll be able to see it moving up and down...you see?" Scully rubbed his back. "He's alive, Mulder. Talk to him. Keep talking to him. Let him know you're here."

The touch of a hand on her shoulder, snapped Scully's head around. Walker stood behind her, casting confused glances from man to man.

"Can I uh...can I talk to you a minute?"

Scully nodded and spoke again to her partner. "I'll be right back, Mulder." She stood up and moved away, leaving Byers and Langly to keep an eye on Fox. "What is it, Walker?"

"There were three other men we found before we got up here. Two of them, I believe are staff, but the third...he's...he's just a kid. Mid twenties at the most. We found him hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. When we showed him our badges, he started to cry. He kept saying he was sorry. That he didn't want to do it, whatever the hell *it* was. He begged us to help *Alex* and directed us up to this room." He threw a glance over in the direction of the cage. "That Alex?"

Scully nodded.

Walker looked back at the man sitting on the other side of the cage, murmuring and whispering to the unconscious figure. "What's the deal with Mulder?"

Scully shook her head and opened her mouth to answer, but Ashcroft interrupted her before she could form a word.

"We'll have help in ten minutes."

Scully acknowledged Walker, then went back to Fox. "Mulder...Mulder."

Fox turned his head a fraction to the left.

"Ten minutes, okay?"

He nodded once, and returned his attention to his lover. "Baby," he called softly to Alex. "Just a few minutes more. Just a few...please, Alex...stay with me...don't leave me. A few minutes more and I'll be there."

Fox stayed where he was, refusing to move away from Alex until the men came with the steel cutters. Then, Scully coaxed him away from the bars while they went to work. An eternity later, the door was opened and Fox flew into the cage, falling to the floor beside Alex.

"I'm here," he whispered, peppering his lover's warm face with kisses, and tenderly stroking his hair. "I'm here, baby. We're going to get you out of here and into a hospital, okay?"

Scully kneeled beside the two men, checking Alex's vitals. "His pulse is just a little weak, Mulder..." she gently lifted one eyelid, then the other. "I think he may be sedated."

"But his back, Scully. The son of a bitch whipped him," Fox muttered against Alex's forehead.

"I know," Scully answered, thinking to herself that the bastard got what he deserved. She studied the marks, most of which were severe welts. "He'll be okay. A few scars maybe, but none the worse for wear." She felt his arms and legs, and ran her hands over his chest and back. "Nothing seems to be broken. Of course, we'll know all this for sure when we get him checked into a hospital."

Minutes later, the EMTs arrived, and Alex was taken out to the ambulance, with Fox right by his side. Scully sent Byers and Langly on to the hospital, while she stayed behind to help clear up the mess.

Fox sat quietly in the ambulance, Alex's hand enfolded in his, held gently to his cheek. So focused on his lover was he, that he took no notice of the looks passed between the EMTs.

As soon as they reached the hospital, Alex was wheeled into the emergency room. Fox paced outside for over an hour and a half, clearly agitated at having to be separarted from his lover for so long. Langly and Byers watched him stalk back and forth, too afraid to utter a peep.

As soon as the doctor emerged, he cornered the man.

"Well? How is he?"

"He'll be all right. He was dehydrated, and running a slight temp. His blood sugar is pretty low, and those wounds on his back are going to be a bit uncomfortable for a while. We found traces of a sedative in his blood. He should be coming out of it pretty soon. I don't anticipate any ill effects. I would like to admit him for a couple of days. Get him back to normal, then he can go home."

Fox closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Okay. Thank you."

"He's being taken up to his room now. Fourth floor, room four twenty-eight."

Fox nodded. "Thank you."

The doctor gave him a smile. "You're very welcome."

Fox turned and started toward the signs pointing to the elevators. Langly and Byers followed. The three men boarded the lift, and Fox turned to his friends.

"Guys....thank you..."

"Not a problem, man," Langly patted his shoulder. "I'm just glad we got him out of there before you turned on *us*."

Fox hung his head. "I'm...God, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Byers reassured him. "If someone had done that to someone *I* love, I might have reacted the same way. Well...you know....sort of."

The elevator door opened, and the three men swept down the hall, and toward Alex's room. The nurse and orderly were just leaving as Fox came through the door. She gave him a polite if unnoticed smile, then left him alone with his still unconscious lover.

Langly and Byers stood by the door, watching as Fox pulled a chair up to the bed and lowered himself into it. He looked at Alex for a moment, noting how the nurse had him turned onto his side, then checked out the I.V. in his left hand. He lifted the limp right hand to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss into the palm.

"Baby." Another kiss. "Alexei, wake up. It's me. He's gone, he'll never hurt you again." Fox waited. Seeing no reaction, he continued to speak. "Alex, talk to me." He rubbed the hand he held between his own. "I'm here, baby. Please open your eyes."

Still receiving no response, Fox lowered his head to the mattress alongside Alex's, and closed his eyes.

The damned fog was lifting again. Soon, his protection would be gone and he'd have to face another day of God only knew what.

No...don't want to. Sleep...just want to sleep...

But he *was* waking, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop it.

He rose a little closer to the surface and it was...different.

Warm. Safe.

Fox.

God, it even smelled like him.

He *wasn't* waking, just passing into a dream. But his eyes were opening...unless he was dreaming this, too...

Fox heard the soft sigh and picked his head up.

Frightened, uncertain green eyes blinked sluggishly and found exhausted, glittering hazel.

Alex still wasn't sure that he wasn't dreaming. Not until the eyes welled up and spilled over, and he heard his Fox's hoarse voice, saying his name.

"Fox?"

"Yeah, baby. It's me. Everything's fine."

Alex raised a hand to Fox's cheek, sliding his knuckles through the dampness there. "Where am I?"

"Hospital in Connecticut."

"You found me?"

Fox nodded. "With a little help."

"I knew you would...what about Saint James?"

"He's not a problem any more."

Alex searched his eyes, and knew. "I told him if I didn't get him, then you would. He didn't believe me."

Fox gave no answer. He simply lowered his head and covered Alex's lips in a long, tender kiss.

Alex threaded a hand through Fox's hair, losing himself in the comfort of his lover's kiss. God, it felt so good. How did he know? How did he know this was exactly what he needed right now...the reassurance...the reality...

The reality.

Alex pulled away, gasping and trembling.

"Alex?" Fox cupped his heavily-stubbled cheek. "Baby, what is it?"

"N-nothing. Nothing, I'm just...I'm just a little shaky."

Fox knew better than that. "What did he do to you?"

Alex shook his head.

"Alex?"

"I just...I want to forget about it right now...all of it. I don't want to think about it, okay?"

"You'll tell me soon?"

"Yeah...yeah. Soon." Alex moved to the edge of the bed, trying to get closer to Fox's warmth. Hoping it would act as a shield between him and the memory that he knew would plague him still, when all the others faded.

Fox lifted his arm over Alex, resting it on the other side, effectively tenting his lover's upper body. He rested his forehead lightly against Alex's temple, and kissed his cheek. "Tired?"

Alex nodded, eyes already closed.

"Okay. Go to sleep."

Alex reached blindly for his hand, clasping it tightly when he did. "I thought I was dreaming when I first woke up. I thought..." His eyes opened and he glanced down at their entwined fingers, remembering.

Fox felt his body body go slack, and saw his eyes glaze over.

"What?"

"My watch..." he swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, "...my ring. He took them," he said, voice crackling with restrained anguish.

"Baby....I hadn't even noticed. God. I'll have the house turned upside down."

"What if they're not there? He might have just gotten rid of them."

"Then I'll replace them."

"It isn't the same," Alex said barely above a whisper.

"I know." Fox kissed him gently. "But the love is."

Alex pressed their hands against his chest, and closed his eyes.

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Of course." Fox kissed the roughened cheek once more, then whispered softly into Alex's ear, "I love you, baby." He lowered his his head to the bed, and closed his eyes. The hand that was not enclosed in Alex's, moved rhythmically along the length of the younger man's arm.

Minutes later, the movement slowed, then stopped. Both men were now, asleep.

An agitated baritone startled Fox awake.

"What...what the *hell* is going on, here?"

Fox lifted his head, first checking on Alex, hoping that the commotion wouldn't wake him. Unfortunately, he was beginning to stir. Fox looked up at the red faced A.D.

"Mulder," Skinner growled through a clenched jaw, "would you care to tell me what this is all about?"

Fox looked from his boss to his two friends.

"Sorry, Mulder," Byers said softly. "We couldn't stop him from coming in."

"S'okay."

"Fox?" Alex's sleepy voice immediately drew his attention.

"I'm here, baby."

Skinner's eyes widened in disbelief. "*This* is the 'personal matter'?"

Fox kissed the side of Alex's head and rose from his seat. "Yes."

Alex recognized the voice, and struggled onto his back, wincing. "Fox..."

"It's okay," Fox reassured him softly. I was going to tell him about us anyway, after this was over."

"Are you out of your *mind*?"

"No, sir. For the first time in my life, I'm truly sane."

"You're a federal agent. And *this* son of a bitch is..."

"My lover. For the last three years."

"*What*?"

"Three years..." Fox's eyes flicked down to Alex, who still on his back, looking up into his face. His expression softened immediately as he bent over the younger man. "You're supposed to be on your side," he said gently, helping his lover change position.

"But, Fox..."

"Stop. The only thing I want you worrying about is feeling better."

"Oh, he's going to worry about a lot more than that..."

"Why?"

"*Why*?"

"Yeah. There are no charges against him, of any kind. And you know as well as I do, there's nothing you can charge him *with*."

Skinner grimaced. He was right. He had absolutely nothing on this man. Sheer hatred was not grounds for arrest.

"I can't believe this. I *cannot* believe this. You're a federal *agent*."

"You already said that."

"Apparently, you need *reminding*...for all the difference it'll make, *now*."

"Are you telling me that I'm in danger of losing my job?"

"Because of your involvement with this scum? Who happens to be a *man*? Yes, yes I believe it would be, but that's not the only reason your ass is in a sling."

"Well....I'll tell you what." Fox reached into his holster, removing gun. "I'll save you the trouble of all that paperwork." He removed the clip, and handed the weapon over.

Alex watched the proceedings, horrified. "Fox...Fox, don't..."

"And..." he pulled his badge out of its enclosure, and slammed it down on the tray at the foot of the bed. "There you go."

Scully came through the door, just in time to catch the last part of the exchange.

"Sir?" She placed a small overnight bag down by the door. "What are you...Mulder..."

Fox stood straight and tall, red eyes staring defiantly at his superior. "Take it. I quit."

"*What*? Mulder, what the hell are you doing?"

"I don't have the time or the inclination to go through a bunch of shit with him. I've got much more important things to deal with." Fox reclaimed his seat beside Alex.

"Fox...Fox, don't quit. You'll regret it. Don't do this because of me.."

"Shh, shh, shh." Fox petted the sable head. "I came much too damn close to losing you. *You* are what's important in my life. None of the rest of it means a goddamn thing if I don't have you. Baby, you know that."

"Sir...Sir?"

Skinner glanced from the shocking sight of his agent kissing Alex Krycek, to his partner.

"Sir, can I talk to you in the hall, please?"

Skinner strode into the hall, followed by Scully.

"What is it?"

"Sir, are you really going to allow him to quit?"

The A.D turned his face away.

"Don't think he's bluffing, sir. I know he's not."

"How...why....how the hell did this get started?"

"It's really not important, sir. What matters here is that Mulder is serious. He loves Alex with his whole heart and soul, and if you push him to choose, he *will* quit."

"He *has* quit."

"You haven't accepted his badge.""If he wants out, who am I stop him? Although, this may all be pointless. I heard the initial report on what went down at that house. Agent Mulder could be in a world of shit if those reports are true. And you're not exactly free and clear, either."

"Well, sir, that's another matter..."

Skinner's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The bodies, sir...all the wounded guards...they're gone."

"What do you mean, *gone*?"

"That's why I'm so late getting here. "None of them ever made it to their destinations."

"That's impossible."

"That's my response as well. But they've disappeared, sir, without a trace. I've checked it out."

"Well," Skinner grated. "No bodies, no case." He shook his head. "You know, when Agent Mulder is involved, nothing should surprise me."

"Besides Alex, only one person made it out of that house, and I think that's only because he was with me."

"Who?"

A young man. He seems to have been another captive of sorts. They'd found him hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. They tried to question him, but he shut down. When I showed up and started to question him, he just kind of took to me. He has healed marks on his back, very similar to Alex's..."

"Marks?"

"You didn't notice?"

"I guess not. I was concentrated on other matters."

"He's been beaten, sir. Both of them."

"Why? What did this man want with them?"

"That, sir, is a very long, very complicated story."

Skinner folded his arms across the expanse of his chest. "I've got plently of time."

"All right...over coffee? I'm dying."

The A.D nodded.

"Just let me say hello to Alex..."

"Is this," he waved a hand back and forth at the door, "all part of the explanation?"

"Yes, it is."

Scully pushed the door open and walked back inside. Skinner slipped in after her, standing by the door, locking eyes with Fox.

"Hey! Sorry I didn't get to say something to you the first time I was in here," Scully perched on the edge of Alex's bed, and planted a light kiss on his jaw. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. Kinda weak."

"That's normal for the things that were wrong with you when you were brought in, but you'll be fine. How about your back?"

At the sound of the question, Skinner's eyes left Fox's and dropped down to Alex's back, and registering for the first time, what had been done to the man.

Alex shrugged. "Hurts. Nothing I can't deal with. When can I go home?"

"The doctor wants to keep you a day or two. Get your fluids and blood sugar back where they belong," Fox answered softly.

"Mulder? Can I see you outside for second?'

Fox nodded at his partner. He grasped Alex's hand, and brushed his lips across the knuckles. "Be right back."

Before Scully left the room, she dropped another kiss on Alex's head. "I'll see you a little later, okay?"

Alex nodded, glancing over at the man glaring at him from the corner. "Thanks, Scully."

She gave him a reassuring pat, and preceeded Fox, then Skinner out of the room.

Once in the hall, Fox glanced quickly at the A.D., then looked to Scully. "What did you want to see me about?"

"A few things, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Every member of the Saint James household is gone...well...*almost* every member..."

"What do you mean, *gone*?"

"I mean, gone. Disappeared. Dead, alive or otherwise...*all* of them."

"Except for one."

"Right."

"Scully, how can all those people just disappear?"

"I'm sure I have no idea."

Fox ran his fingers through his hair. "This doesn't make any sense, it doesn't....who is the *one*?"

"A young man. Another unwilling *companion*

"Kidnapped?"

"No. Tempted. Lured. Once he had him, Saint James just broke him down to the point where he *couldn't* leave. Mulder, this kid is a mess. It's going to take some doing to de-program him."

"Family?"

"We did manage to get that information out of him. We're trying to contact them, now. He uh...he's asked about Alex several times. He seems very concerned about him. I've had him admitted so he can be checked out. If you'd like to talk to him, he's on this floor. Room four-ten."

Fox nodded. "Thanks. Anything else?"

"Yep. One more thing." Scully reached into her purse and produced two silver objects. "I believe these belong to Alex."

A wide smile spread over Fox's face as he took the watch and ring from her. "Where were they?"

"The detectives found them in Saint James' desk drawer. I happened to be in the room when they did."

"Thank you, Scully. He was so upset about it."

Skinner stared at the jewelry, concentrating on the simple silver band, and suddenly realizing the significance of the gold band that Fox wore on his right hand. He grimaced and turned away.

"Mulder...one more thing." Scully looked from her partner to her boss, then back again. "Don't quit."

"It's not something I want to do, Scully. But if I can't have Alex *and* my work..."

Scully threw Skinner an 'I told you so' look. He turned away and said nothing.

Fox glanced from Skinner to Scully and shrugged. "I'm going back to Alex. I'll see you later. Thanks again, Scully."

Scully nodded, then casting a long glare in the A.D's direction, walked off toward the elevators.

Skinner rubbed his hand over the top of his head, then followed Scully.

Fox re-entered the room, moving silently to the bed. He smiled softly, watching his lover sleep.

Langly crept to his side and whispered in his ear.

"Listen, bud, Byers and I are going to head back to the motel. If you don't need us anymore, we'll probably hop a flight back to D.C."

"Yeah, uh...good idea. Thanks, guys. If it weren't for you, I might not have him back, now."

"No problem, man. You know we're always here for ya."

The two men left, leaving Fox alone with Alex for the first time since they'd found him. He took his place by the bed and watched as the thick fringe of sable lashes fluttered and rose. Alex's hand slid over the mattress, seeking and finding his lover's.

"What woke you up?"

Small shrug.

"Well...since you're awake...guess what I've got?"

Sleepy green eyes blinked up at him. "What?"

Fox produced Alex's watch and ring from his pocket and held them in front of his face. "You happen to know who these belong to?"

Alex's eyes lit up. "Where..."

"Scully. The detectives found them at the house and she brought them here."

Not waiting for a response, Fox pulled Alex's hand forward, and slipped the ring back onto his finger. "There," he smiled into his lover's watery gaze. "Right back where it belongs."

Alex looked down at his hand, now curled into a loose fist. His eyes dropped shut and the fist tightened, as unwanted memories pushed their way to the fore.

No....stop....please, stop....*no*...

"Alex...Alex!" Fox moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, stroking Alex's forehead. "What is it? Come on, baby, talk to me."

Alex took a sudden, shuddering breath, held it, then let it out in the same manner. He tried again, but the second attempt was worse than the first.

"Take it easy, babe. Easy. Relax..." Fox kept his voice low and even, for Alex's sake, masking the panic that had risen in his own chest. "Breathe, Alex...deep, slow breaths..." Fox reached for the call button and pressed it several times. A nurse appeared quickly in the doorway.

"Can I get you something, honey?"

"He's having some kind of panic attack."

"I'm....all right," Alex said, between breaths.

"All right, huh? The nurse bustled into the room. "You're as white as a sheet. Give me your arm, hon. Let's check your pressure." Seconds later, she removed the cuff from his arm. "Well, darlin', you're definitely worked up about something." She turned to Fox. "The doctor approved a mild sedative for him, should he need it..."

"*No*!" Alex struggled into a sitting position. "No drugs!"

"Alex..." Fox cupped his cheek. "It's just to help you relax."

"No, Fox," Alex pleaded. "Don't let them knock me out."

"Okay, baby, okay. But you have to calm down, all right?"

Alex nodded, fighting to control his erratic breathing. A few minutes later, he was calm enough that Fox was able to dismiss the nurse.

"Better, now?" Fox rubbed the hand he'd enclosed in his own.

"Yeah." Alex took a slow, deep breath, and released it. "I'm okay."

"Can you slide forward a little?"

Alex did as he was asked, and Fox moved behind him, leaning back against the pillows, legs straddling his body. He held his arms out, and Alex pushed back, turning sideways to lie against his chest.

Fox wrapped one arm around Alex's shoulders, and other came up to rest gently on his hip. Alex lay rigidly against him for a few moments, then slowly, he worked his arms around Fox's waist, and buried his face in his chest.

Fox wanted desperately to ask Alex again to tell him about what had happened to him, but he was afraid of bringing on another anxiety attack. So instead, he sat gently caressing his hip, and scattering tiny kisses in the wild, sable hair.

Alex clung silently to the man he loved more than life...sickened, terrified, and completely at a loss as to how it was he was supposed to tell him about what had happened. The beatings would be easy enough to talk about. The physical wounds would heal and he'd get past it...it wasn't any worse than anything he'd ever been through in his life, but...*this*. Saint James, that bastard...he knew what he was doing. In another time and another place, he could have almost admired the man's brilliantly warped mind, but...

"I love you, sweetheart."

The four words, whispered so tenderly above his head, brought a sting of tears to his eyes. He blinked rapidly, holding holding them back. His arms tightened around Fox, as he tried to get closer.

"I love you...lisa..."

He was good.

No one would have noticed the grief in his voice...

No one but Fox.

God. Oh, Jesus, Alex. What did he do to you?

The prospect of Alex finally answering that question was beginning to scare the hell out of him...more and more. The arm around Alex's shoulder, pulled him in closer.

"Go to sleep, baby."

"Don't let me go, Fox."

"I won't. I promise, I won't let you go."

Close to half an hour later, Alex was asleep. And Fox sat wide awake, terrified that if he closed his eyes, someone would come and tear his love away. He was still sane enough to realize that the fear was completely irrational, yet he couldn't help it.

A long while later, Scully slipped back into the room, smiling at the sight of the two men wrapped in each other's arms. The smile faded a bit, as her partner's eyelids lifted, and he turned bloodshot eyes to her.

"I thought maybe you were asleep."

Fox shook his head, and lay his cheek on the top of Alex's head.

"The nurse'll have a fit if she finds you in his bed," she warned as softly as she could.

"She's already been in."

"And she didn't say anything?"

"Just checked his IV, smiled, and left."

"Wow."

"Anything else on the disappearances?"

"Nothing. It's like they never existed."

"Makes no sense."

"I know. But you know, in this case, it might not be such a bad thing. You and I were in hot water up to our necks...you especially."

Another tiny nod. "Thank you, Scully, for your help."

"You'd have done the same for me...have you re-thought your decision to quit?"

"I haven't really thought about anything but Alex."

"I talked to Skinner. Explained it to him from beginning to end."

"And?"

"He's not happy, Mulder. You knew he wouldn't be. But he's a fair man. I think I was able to make him understand the extenuating circumstances here."

"You think?"

"He said he didn't want to see you leave the Bureau. I take that to mean that anything he's learned today will be kept off the record." Scully took a seat by the bed. "He went out to the scene to see what was going on. You'll probably see him a little later."

"Can't wait. Scully...is that Matthew kid still here?"

"Yeah, he'll be here till tomorrow at least. You going to go see him?"

"I'd like to, yeah. What room was it? Four-ten?"

"Right."

"I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind."

"Actually, I'd appreciate it if you'd stay with Alex while I'm gone."

"Mulder...he's safe here."

"I know, I just...it'd make me feel better, okay?"

"Okay. When are you going to go see him?"

"After Alex wakes up."

Already awake, Alex listened to the conversation, trying hard to keep his body from quaking.

He was here.

Matthew.

The spineless little son of a bitch who helped to ruin his life.

Room four-ten.

Fox shifted, ducking his head to look down at the open, glazed eyes of his lover.

"Hey. I thought I heard a sound."

Alex's eyes darted up to his, then back down.

"Babe? You okay?"

"Yeah...yeah, fine. I uh...my arm is asleep, I gotta move." He pulled away from the circle of Fox's arms, allowing the older man to move off of the bed. Shifting onto his right side, he came face to face with Scully.

"Hi, Alex. Feeling any better?"

"Um...y-yeah, I guess." He turned his eyes up to Fox, who was still hovering nearby. "I really am better, Fox. Why don't you go find a motel room and get some sleep?"

"I'm not leaving this hospital, Alex. Not until you do."

"Then at least go get something to eat. Scully, take him to the cafeteria and put some food in him."

"He's right, Mulder. You need to eat...*and* sleep."

Mulder looked from his lover to his partner. "How about this? Scully, you stay here for a minute, and I'll go get us something and bring it back."

"God, Mulder you really are a pain in the ass. Listen, you stay here, and *I'll* go down." Scully rose from her chair and had a quick look at Alex's chart. "Alex, I can get you some soup or something light like that."

Alex shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Some soup would be fine."

"Okay. I'll be back in little bit."

Fox sat on the edge of the bed, watching Scully retreat from the room. When she was gone, he reached over and took Alex's hand in his, bringing it to his lips.

"Be back in a couple of minutes, okay? I gotta take some of this off. It's driving me crazy," he said, rubbing the heavy stubble. "I'll shave you too afterward, if you like." Receiving only a tiny smile as an answer, he rose from the bed, picked up the small bag Scully had carried in for him earlier, and disappeared into the bathroom.

The moment he was gone, Alex yanked the IV out of his arm, and slipped out of bed. He held on to the nearby table, taking a few seconds to steady himself, then donned the robe at the end of the bed, and quietly left the room.

Matthew lay awake in his bed...alone in the empty room, thinking. Wondering if what he'd heard was true.

Was Justin really dead?

If it was true, he didn't know what to feel about that. Relief should have been tops on the list, but he wasn't sure. Jesus, why should he be? He should be relieved, and thrilled, and happy as hell that the sadistic bastard was gone, and that's *all* he should be, but he wasn't.

His thoughts turned to the man in the cage.

Alex.

His closed his eyes and brought his hands up to them, as the man's anguished screams filled his brain.

God, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

He hoped that Alex would be okay. He hoped that if he hadn't been already, he would soon be reunited with his lover, and he could forget the terrible thing he'd done to him.

The quiet swish of the door startled him, and as he took his hands away from his face, there in front of him was a pair of hard, glittering green eyes.

"Why?"

Matthew shrank back against the pillows. "I'm...I'm..."

Before he could say anything more, Alex was on him, hands wrapped around his neck. "Why did you do that to me?" he screamed with rage. "You fucking son of a *bitch*! I'll kill you, you goddamn shit!"

Matthew's arms swung wildly in the air, and he gasped for breath. Through the high pitched ringing in his ears, he could hear more sound. A nurse had heard the screaming, and came to see what the problem was. As soon as she came through the door, she stared wide-eyed at the scene, then raced back out, shouting for help.

Back in Alex's room, Fox turned the water off and listened.

What the hell is that?

He cleaned his face, and pushed the door open. "Alex, do you..." His eyes fell on the empty bed. "*Shit*!" He ran out of the room, and out toward the comotion at the end of the hall. He pushed his way through the small crowd outside of room four-ten, and found two orderlies trying to pull Alex off of the young man in the bed. "Alex!" He leapt between the men and his lover. "Let go of him!"

"Are you nuts? He's gonna kill this kid!"

"I'll get him off of him, now back off!"

The two men backed away, and Fox came up behind Alex, wrapping his arms around him. "Alex, stop! Let go of him! Come on, baby, you can't do this..."

Alex's grip loosened a bit as he began to sob. "You bastard...you little fucking shit..."

Fox took the opportunity to pry Alex's hands away. "Let him go, baby. Whatever he did to you, we'll work through it, okay? Let him go."

Matthew coughed and sputtered, trying to drag air back into his lungs, as Fox pulled Alex away from him.

Alex collasped into Fox's arms, clinging tightly to him. "I'm sorry, Fox, I'm...I didn't want...I didn't...God...oh, God..."

"Easy, Alex. It's okay." He looked to the young, terrified man. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, coughing some more. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to Fox, then to Alex. "Please believe me."

Fox studied him, wondering what the hell was going on. He rose from the bed, pulling Alex up after him. "Come on, baby. Let's get you back to your room."

Alex's nurse and the two orderlies followed them back, and once Fox had Alex settled into his bed, the nurse suggested restraining him.

Fox shook his head. "No. He'll be fine. He won't leave his room again."

"Mr. Mulder, we can't be sure of that."

"Yes we can," he snapped. "Whatever he's been through the last few days has got him a little bent out of shape, but he doesn't need to be restrained."

"A *little* bent out of shape...he tried to strangle that boy."

"Something terrible was done to him, and that *boy* was a part of it."

Well, hon, I sympathize, I really do, but please understand that I've got to report this episode to his doctor."

"I understand. Just get him up here, and I'll talk to him."

"All right. I'll find him and send him up as soon as possible."

When she had fixed Alex's IV and the room was cleared, Fox turned his full attention back to Alex. "Baby," he whispered, stroking his lover's perspiration dampened hair, "you gotta tell me what happened. Who is that man and why did you want to hurt him?"

Alex grasped his hand and turned tormented eyes up to his. "I love you, Fox. I didn't...I...I..." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.

"Alex...Alex, please."

Scully walked in, and placed the food down on the bed tray. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Fox answered flatly. "But I'm going to find out. Stay with him." He gently pulled his hand out of Alex's grip. "Baby, I'll be back. Scully is going to stay with you while I'm gone okay?"

No answer.

Fox kissed him once, and left the room.

All was quiet now, as he walked down the hall to room four-ten. He pushed the door open and stood in the doorway looking at the still very shaken young man in the bed. Remorseful aqua eyes gazed up at him as he approached.

"Is..." he swallowed painfully, "is he all right?"

Fox studied the beginning bruises on the man's throat. "No. No, he isn't all right. That's why I'm here. I want to know what happened to him, and I want to know what you had to do with it."

Matthew shook his head. His eyes filled with tears, and he tried to speak. "I'm so, *so* sorry. You have to know that. I begged Justin. I pleaded with him, but he wouldn't listen to me. His mind was made up. I was so scared....he....is he dead?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"How?"

Fox paused for a moment, then answered simply, "I killed him."

Matthew closed his eyes and nodded. "Alex said you'd find him."

Fox moved closer to the bed. "Tell me what happened."

"J-Justin...he was a man who always had things his way. *Always*. He decided he wanted Alex...so he took him. He said he knew it would be difficult, but he was determined to break Alex down. But Alex," Matthew shook his head, almost smiling, "he proved to be a much bigger challenge than Justin ever expected. He killed and wounded a lot of Justin's men. He fought Justin at every turn, and Justin could see that he was beginning to lose ground, so he really decided to play dirty."

"What did he do?"

"Well...the beatings didn't work...Alex just became harder to handle. So he...he..."

"He *what*?"

"He...he knew you were Alex's weakness as well as his strength. And he thought of a way to use it against him..."

Fox took a deep breath and waited.

"He uh...he sedated Alex...had him shackled to the bed, and he made...oh, God, you have to believe that I wanted no part of this..."

"*Tell* me."

"He made me go into the cage and I had to...he made me perform..." Matthew buried his face in his hands. "...oral sex. I didn't want to, I swear I didn't."

Fox pitched forward, grasping the edge of a nearby table for support, as the room did an abrupt spin.

"I'm sorry," Matthew whined, "I'm sorry..."

Fox straightened up and inhaled deeply. "Finish, he hissed between gritted teeth.

Matthew hesitated a few seconds, then continued. "Like I said, Alex had been lightly sedated. It took a little while, but he started to...to respond. He was still pretty much out of it, but I could...Jesus, I'm sorry. I could feel him getting hard."

Fox's hands clenched into fists.

"He start..started to moan...he was out of it...I know he thought it was you. I know that because as he woke up, he started to struggle. He screamed and he threatened and he begged for it to stop, and I wanted to, I swear, but Justin was right outside. And *he* threatened me and told me *not* to stop. Please, *please* understand...I was *afraid*. The beatings were bad enough when he *wasn't* angry. If I stopped, he probably would have killed me."

Fox stood quietly, eyes closed, fighting to maintain a steady breath.

"Anyway...uh...by the time he'd come around, it had gone too far for him to stop it, if you know what I mean. He....he....he came and then he....he cried. God, he cried so hard. I cried too. Then Justin started to taunt him. Told him he was going to take a copy of the video tape he'd made of it, and send it to you. Alex went crazy. He thrashed and fought against the restraints so much that Justin had to sedate him again. That was the last...last time I saw him till today. I can't stop saying how sorry I am...it sickened me to do that to him." Matthew turned watery eyes to the man who stood over him, fighting against every instinct that screamed for him to beat this man to death. "He loves you so much and Justin used it to destroy him." Matthew suddenly found his anger. "He's dead, but if Alex doesn't come through this...he still wins. Don't let the son of a bitch win. *Please*."

Fox listened to the words spoken so sincerely.

"He won't win. Alex *will* get through this. I'll see to it."

"I know." Tears pooled, then flowed over. "Because you love him."

"That's right."

Fox turned and left the young man alone with his misery.

Scully looked up as her partner came through the door. His tortured expression spoke volumes.

"Mulder?"

Fox walked by her, all his concentration focused on the man who lay almost catatonic in the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, and leaned over Alex's still body. He stroked his lover's hair gently, staring silently down at him. Slowly, Alex's eyes shifted up to his.

"I talk...I talked to Matthew," Fox said softly. "Baby, I know what happened to you."

Alex buried his face into the pillow.

"Alex..." Fox slipped a hand under his cheek and turned his face back up so that their eyes met. "We'll get through it, okay? You and me."

Alex's lips moved, but no sound would come past them.

"What, Alex? What is it?"

"I...I didn't want it...I tried, I...tried....I wanted to kill him....I wanted...I wanted to die..."

Fox lowered himself to the mattress, gathering Alex into his arms. "It's all right. It'll be all right..."

Alex lay passively in Fox's arms, staring over his shoulder, up at the ceiling. "I didn't want to," he whispered almost inaudibly.

"I know you didn't. I know..."

"I came....came in his m...mouth, Fox..."

"I know..."

"He wouldn't stop...but I wanted him to, I swear...swear to you I wanted him to..."

"Alex...I know that. Come on, babe, stop this. Don't torture yourself. It isn't worth it. When all of this is done, it'll still be just me and you."

"You could....could still touch me after..."

Fox drew away far enough to meet Alex's eyes. "Listen to me. What happened to you changes nothing between us. I love you, Alexei..."

Alex shuddered and looked away. "He called me that. It sounded so...obscene."

"Baby, look at me."

Weary green eyes turned up to Fox's face.

"He's gone. You never have to see his face, you never have to hear his voice again. I know you won't ever forget what happened, and neither will I. If I could kill him over and over again for what he did to you, I would. But wanting and wishing won't change anything. As impossible as it sounds at this precise moment, we *will* pick up and go on. In a day or two, we're going to go home..." Fox cupped Alex's face, rubbing his thumb across the stubbled cheekbone. "I'll take care of you...those wounds on your back will heal. We'll have dinner in our dining room....we'll go for walks around the neighborhood...Clyde misses you...we'll go to sleep in our bed..." He kissed the outside curve of Alex's ear, then whispered into it, "I'll hold you all night long....I'll do the laundry...I'll turn the whites a nice shade of purple just for you..."

A tiny smile formed at the corner's of Alex's mouth. "God, no. That's all right, I think I can manage to do the laundry, thank you."

Fox laughed softly, his tired eyes beginnng to shine. "There he is."

"There who is?"

"My Alex. I saw him for just a second, there."

Alex raised a slightly shaking hand to Fox's cheek. "I love you, lisa."

Fox lowered his head, taking Alex's mouth in a long, sweet kiss. When he pulled away, he frowned, licking at the edges of his lips. "Oh man, we gotta do something about this beard. How 'bout it? You ready for that shave?"

"Sure."

Fox gave him a heart melting smile. "Be right back."

Alex watched his lover retreat into the bathroom, then looked over at Scully. "I don't know how it is this happened. I've never done anything good enough in my life to deserve him."

Scully walked over to the bed, and sat down. She covered Alex's hand with her own, squeezing it gently. "You fell in love with him, didn't you?"

"Yeah..."

She smiled, shaking her head. "You could never have done anything better than that. Alex, your love has saved him a hundred times over."

A knock sounded at the door, and it inched open. "S'cuse me, four twenty-eight, right?"

Scully answered. "That's what it says on the door..."

The door swung open and the man walked in, carrying in each arm, a vase arrangement of two dozen Sterling Silver roses. Alex watched, surprised and a bit confused, as the man set the vases down and started for the door.

"Uh...hey...you sure those are for me?"

"You Alex Krycek?"

"Yeah..."

"Then these are for you. Be right back."

The man disappeared for a moment, then returned, carrying two more arrangements; mixed flowers, both in baskets. "You're one popular guy."

Alex looked from the man to Scully, then back again. He remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"That ain't all, friend, you got one more..."

Fox walked out of the bathroom, carrying a basin of warm water and the shaving equipment. His eyes met Alex's and saw the confusion. "Hey, he grinned. They're not *all* from me..."

The man walked in with one more large mixed vase arrangement and cleared a spot on a table in the corner for it. "Okay, that's it. You got it all."

Fox stopped him at the door and handed him a bill. He thanked the man, then moved over to the bed, looking down into questioning green eyes. "I'm telling you, I don't know *where* some of these flowers came from."

Scully rose from her chair. "Well, let's see...there's no card on one of these rose arrangements, so I'll assume they're from the same sender." She handed the card to Alex, who gingerly pulled the flap up on the envelope, and read. His eyes closed for a moment, then rose to meet those of his lover. He mouthed the words 'I love you', and Fox sent him a soft smile and a wink.

Scully handed him the card from one of the baskets.

Alex's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "The Gunmen?"

Fox chuckled softly. "Told you they liked you."

Alex read the card from the next basket, and reached out to take Scully's hand. "Thanks, Scully."

Scully rubbed the back of his hand. "It's such a relief to have you back." She released his hand and moved to the the last arrangement. "Here you go."

Alex looked up to Fox. "I don't...there's nobody else."

Fox motioned to the envelope. "There's obviously somebody else....hey....you don't think it's from Skinner, do you?"

Scully snorted. "Yeah, right, Mulder."

Fox shrugged, smiling, then waited for Alex to open the envelope.

The younger man's brows knitted into a distinct frown. He shook his head, not knowing what to make of the cryptic message.

"What is it, babe?"

Alex handed the card up to Fox, who read it aloud.

"Feel better soon. No thanks necessary. From your friends."

Fox turned to his petite partner. "Scully..."

She shook her head in confusion for a moment, then understanding dawned. "Oh, you don't think..."

"What else could it mean?"

Alex looked from one to the other. "What could what mean? Fox, do you understand that?"

"Yeah, I uh....I think so. The night you went missing, I went to Skinner and asked for contact with Cancerman. I thought he might know something. It was a shot in the dark, but I didn't know what else to do. He promised me that he had no idea and reminded me of your arrangement with him. Before I hung up, he offered his assistance should I need it."

"And?"

"Alex..." Scully took over. "We racked up quite a body count on our way to you. And those who weren't dead, Mulder did a pretty good number on. On their way to their assorted destinations, they all disappeared. Every one of them. There's no evidence. No witnesses. Nothing. It's all gone. We had no idea why or how...till now."

"It makes sense," Fox added. "Who else has the resources to pull something like that off?"

"But....why?"

"Because," Alex rasped, "keeping Fox and me alive and healthy and together, is in their best interests." He looked up to his lover, and grasped his hand. "I hate the idea of him being involved in our life, but in this case, I have to say that I'm glad. Fox..." he squeezed the older man's hand. "...you could have been in so much trouble..."

Fox kissed Alex's hand, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Forget about that. Everything's okay. I don't want to think about how or who....come on, now. You got a date here with Mr. Razor."

Carefully, Fox lathered and scraped away the thick whiskers, revealing the soft skin that hid underneath. When he was through, Alex raised a hand to his face, rubbing along his cheek and throat.

"Thank you....better?"

Fox cocked his head to one side. "Looks better. Now for the real test..." He leaned across the short distance, and covered Alex's mouth with his own.

Alex pulled a fraction away from his lips, and mumbled against them, "Okay?"

"Can't decide." Fox wove his fingers through Alex's hair, and pulled him back against his mouth.

Alex sighed into Fox's open mouth, for the first time in days, feeling almost normal. His tongue inched forward, tangling with the other. His hands came up to Fox's shoulders then around his back. He closed his fingers in the material of Fox's shirt, clinging to him as they kissed with growing passion.

"Oh, God," Scully grinned, checking her watch and speaking to no one in particular, "didn't take them very long, did it?"

Fox shifted, trying to accomodate the growing bulge in his pants. God, it felt so good to have Alex's mouth on his...

A day or two.

Shit, it was too long. He wanted to take him home now. He wanted to put him into his own bed. Hold him close. Make love to him...

Alex tilted his head from side to side, sucking on Fox's lips. His tongue. Voraciously feeding on him...drowning himself in his lover's taste and texture, trying desperately to blot out the images and sounds that continually danced in his mind.

 

* * *

 

The Best Laid Plans  
Part Four continued

* * *

But they were there.

Justin.

Smiling at him.

Touching him.

The unbearable pain of that belt.

The feel of Matthew's mouth around him, sucking and swallowing, even as he begged him to stop...

The sound of his own anguished cries after he came...

"Alex? Hey...come on, breathe.."

Scully leapt from her chair, joining the men on the bed. "Alex? Listen to me. Calm down, okay? Take a deep, slow breath....Mulder what happened?"

"I don't know. All of a sudden, he just started to hyperventilate. Alex, it's all right. Easy, baby." Fox cupped Alex's face in his hands. "Look at me. See? It's me. I'm here." He stroked his lover's cheeks with his thumbs. "Breathe, baby..."

Alex's respiration slowed a bit, as he concentrated on the beautiful sea of amber in front of him. The soft, soothing voice of his lover drifted through the noise in his head.

"That's it. That's better." He moved a hand to the back to Alex's head, massaging lightly. "Tell me what happened, Alex. What brought this on?"

"I'm...it won't...I'm sorry, Fox."

"Don't be sorry...lie back."

Alex shifted onto his side, against the pillows.

"Try to rest, okay?"

A deep, shuddering breath. "Okay....Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"You...you rest too."

"I will."

"Go."

"Where?"

"To a motel room or...wherever..."

"I told you, Alex, I'm not leaving here till you do."

Scully spoke up. "Mulder, you're exhausted. You need sleep as much as he does."

"Who says I'm not going to sleep?"

"Where? In that chair?"

"A pillow and a blanket, and it'll be just fine."

"Fox, please...go sleep in a bed. I'll be all right."

"I'm not leaving."

"Forget it, Alex. He won't budge." She directed her next statement to her partner. "I'll go see what I can do about making you a little more comfortable...and while I'm gone, how about I get us some more food?" She looked to the long-cold food on the tray. "That stuff must be long past edible by now."

"Okay, Scully. Thanks."

When she was gone, Fox pulled a chair up to the bed, and sat, resting his arms and chin on the bed. He and Alex stared at each other for a few moments before he spoke.

"There was no way you could stop it," he murmured softly. "I know you would have if you could."

Alex's eyes fell away from Fox's face. "When....when I was a kid...and those guys raped me...it was bad, but...not like this. Not...I don't...as far as actual, physical pain went, it was much worse, but..I'd rather go back and live that night a dozen times over, than go through this again. I feel so..." He broke off his words and closed his eyes.

"I know what you feel," Fox whispered. "There's no need for you to feel that way. I know those aren't some magic words that'll take it all away, Alex, but...you've done nothing *wrong*. Nothing that's happened has hurt *us*. How could it?"

"I don't know, I...I tried so hard...I fought it, but..."

"Alex, Matthew told me that you were sedated when Saint James sent him in there. You could feel long before you'd regained the ability to reason. You were being stimulated and it was only natural for your body to respond. By the time you'd become conscious, it had gone too far. Baby, you know that there's a point that you reach where there's just no stopping it. It doesn't mean you enjoyed it, and it in no way means that you've somehow betrayed me. There's no reason for you to feel guilty."

Alex lay quietly, taking in what his lover had just said to him. Sometime later, his hand inched across the sheet, the backs of his fingers tentatively brushing Fox's.

Fox watched almost hypnotized, as Alex's fingers moved over his. Slowly he responded, arching his fingers, letting them whisper over his lover's knuckles, tracing disjointed little designs across the skin. His eyes rose to Alex's face, and found himself the focus of a glassy green stare. His hand lifted slightly, covering the other's, lacing their fingers together, and bringing the hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. As he pulled their hands away from his mouth, his head moved closer to Alex's, nuzzling first his jaw, then his cheek.

Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His head began to move fraction by fraction, now imitating his lover's motions. He shifted toward Fox, seeking greater contact; rubbing his freshly-shaven cheek against the one beside it. The soft hiss of breath close to his ear, sent a hard shudder through his body. All at once, raw need overpowered everything else he'd been feeling, coursing through him so strongly, that his entire body ached with it. His fingers untangled from the ones that had still held them, and plunged into Fox's hair, holding his head still for an all-out assault on his mouth.

Alex's sudden aggression startled Fox at first, but he quickly gave himself up to it, allowing the younger man free rein. He had no idea how long the passion would last...if at all, but he'd be damned if he was going to do anything to rock the boat.

Just as he was working up to a good solid erection, Alex pulled away.

"Fox..."

Damn, damn, damn

"Hmm?"

Alex's eyes opened and Fox knew this wasn't the beginning of any anxiety attack.

"I need you."

Whispered softly, but plainly heard by the man for whom it was intended.

"Alex..." Fox licked at his lower lip. "We'll be home tomorrow...Tuesday at the latest..."

Alex bit down gently on Fox's lower lip and tugged. He let it go, licking the spot where his teeth had just been. "Don't make me wait until Tuesday."

"Baby, we're in a hospital."

Alex turned his head, rubbing the sable silk against Fox's face. "Please."

"God....listen..." Fox pulled Alex's head back up. "Scully'll be back soon. When she leaves...I'll take care of you. Okay?"

Alex nodded silently as he moved in again for another kiss. That kiss led to another. And another still, until the two were so completely immersed in each other, that neither noticed Scully enter the room.

"A-hem.....I *said*, a-*hem*."

Fox tore himself away from his lover's mouth and looked up in the direction of the door. "Oh....hi."

"Yeah. Hi." Scully glanced from Fox to Alex, who had turned partially onto his back. "Feeling better, Alex?"

"A little."

"A little," Scully repeated, her voice dripping with good-natured sarcasm. "Well, come on, I brought more food. What do you say we actually eat it this time?"

Fox moved up to the bed, sitting side by side with Alex against the pillows, and Scully took his chair. They stuck to light discussion while eating and when they were through, Scully gathered up the empty containers and disposed of them. While she did that, Alex wiggled closer to Fox, dropping his head down onto his shoulder. Fox kissed his temple.

"Tired?"

Alex's hand slid up and down his thigh. "No."

If Scully was aware of the rise in temperature in the room, she gave no indication. She walked back to the chair, standing beside it. "Well," she said, looking at her watch, "I guess Skinner isn't coming back tonight. Mulder, your pillow and blanket are over there," she n odded toward the wooden chair in the corner. "Promise me you'll get some rest."

"I will, I promise," Fox answered, absently petting the head tucked against his throat.

"Goodnight, Scully," Alex called softly. "Thanks again."

"No problem. See you tomorrow."

As soon as she was gone, Fox slipped a hand under Alex's chin, tilting his face up. His thumb rasped over the swell of his lover's lips, stroking the tip of his tongue as it inched out to meet him. He lowered his head, his own tongue taking the place of his thumb, caressing, tasting...giving teasing hints of the pleasure that was yet to come.

Alex moaned softly into his Fox's mouth, desperately grateful for the love he hadn't been sure he'd ever know again; needing to drown himself in his lover's touch and smell. He leaned into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Fox's waist, then dragging one leg over his thighs. As he raised himself up, preparing to straddle Fox's hips, the other man's hands came up to push him back.

"Uh-uh."

"But you said..."

"I know what I said." Fox kissed the tip of his nose. "This is for you."

Fox slipped off of the bed and motioned to Alex to move closer. Just as he was about to lean over him, the door swung open and the on-call doctor walked in.

"Mr...." he looked at the chart, "..Krycek. I'm Dr. Harrison. I see here that you're a kidnap and beating victim? Quite an ordeal I'm sure, yet I get on the floor and hear that you've been roaming the halls, strangling other patients. Not exactly what I'd expect from a man who'd just been through what you supposedly have..."

"Is that how you greet all your patients, doctor?"

Alex and the doctor looked up at Fox, who stood beside the bed, jaw clenching.

"When they may prove to be a danger to other patients and my staff, yes."

Fox slowly approached the man, stopping only inches away, forcing him to look up. "Before you breeze into someone's room, giving off attitude all over the place, do that person the courtesy of first getting all the facts...Doctor..."

Alex's eyes glowed softly as he watched Fox let the man have it in his own quiet, inimitable way.

"This man is a patient in your hospital. And as such, he should expect no less courtesy than any other patient. Now if sarcasm and verbal abuse is part of your standard practice, sir, I suggest you re-evaluate your bedside manner."

The doctor shrank back from the sharp amber stare. "Who...who are you?"

"My name is Fox Mulder..."

"Is there a problem here, Agent Mulder?"

Three pairs of eyes followed the sound of the voice. Skinner stood in the doorway, looking at the two who were standing by the foot of the bed.

Fox stared at the AD for a moment, then cut his eyes back to the man in front of him. "Nothing that can't be remedied. Correct, Doctor?"

Harrison inhaled deeply, then moved around Fox and over to the bed. "Mr. Krycek...I *am* sorry. My behavior may have been a bit harsh..."

Alex nodded his acknowledgment.

"But I uh..." he looked to Fox, then back again, "I do have to get to the bottom of what went on. Did you...did you try to strangle Mr. Owens in room four-ten?"

From the corner of his eye, Fox saw Skinner's head snap toward him.

"Yeah."

"May I ask why?"

"He..." Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "He was part of...it. He had nothing to do with the actual kidnapping, but he..."

Fox moved forward, taking his place by Alex's side. "He was an accessory to the abuse that was inflicted on Mr. Krycek. Under the circumstances, I'm sure you can understand how the stress he's endured over the last few days could have manifested itself in such an act."

"Yes, I...I suppose. But if he's suffering from post-traumatic stress, what's to say he won't act out again?"

"Doctor..." Skinner stepped forward. "I'm Assistant Director Skinner with the FBI. This is Special Agent Mulder. You have my personal guarantee that he will keep a close watch on Mr....Krycek, and no further problems will arise."

"Well...all right. Mr. Owens *did* say that he had no intention to press charges, so..." The doctor turned his attention to the examination, then looked to Fox. "A nurse will be in soon to take a couple of samples. Depending on how they turn out, he may be able to go home tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"You uh...you mentioned that Mr. Owens was an accessory..."

Alex spoke up. "He's no danger to anyone. He's a scared kid who was forced into a very bad situation. He means no harm to anyone."

"That's very generous of you, considering what Agent Mulder just told me..and taking into account the fact that not more than a few hours ago, you tried to kill him."

"I can think a little more clearly now than I could this afternoon. All I want is to go home and erase him and everything that's happened, from my life."

Fox reached out, stroking his fingertips over the surface of Alex's hair. Skinner grimaced, turning his face away, even as the doctor stared in surprise.

"Well...uh....I'll see you in the morning before I go off duty. Again, I apologize for my earlier abruptness. Goodnight."

And then there were three.

"Scully said you may be back, but I didn't think you would come at this hour."

"I hadn't planned to, but I want this settled." Skinner threw a quick glance in Alex's direction. "I don't accept your resignation." He reached behind his back and pulled Fox's Sig out of the waistband of his pants. "Take your weapon back."

Fox looked down at the offering, but his hand continued to pet Alex's hair.

"There's no room for bargaining. I stay with the Bureau on my terms or not at all."

"Fox," Alex murmured, "listen to him before you close the door..."

Fox took a seat at the edge of the bed, and leaned forward, kissing Alex's forehead. "Okay." He turned back to Skinner, who was standing quietly, with his head down; the muscle in his jaw twitching a mile a minute. "All right, what are your terms?"

"They're simple. I don't like this," he said plainly. "I don't like *him*. I don't know that I ever will. But Scully gave me the rundown on what's gone on between you, and I can't deny that it looks as though he may be sincere in his feelings. Scully certainly is convinced. And as I have the utmost respect for her opinion, and knowing that she'd never approve of anything that she thought would hurt you, I don't see where I've got any choice in this. Everything I know involving the two of you stays off the record." He fell silent, and re-issued his offer of the gun.

Fox looked to Alex, who smiled and nodded, then took the gun back.

"Good. I never took your badge. Where is it?"

"Where I left it, I suppose." Fox left the bed and checked the tray. "Yeah, it's here." He replaced the badge in its enclosure, and shoved it into his back pocket.

Satisfied, Skinner headed for the door. Fox followed, stopping just inside the doorway. Skinner studied him from the hall.

"What happened to him?"

"I thought Scully told you everything."

"She told me who the man was that took Krycek. She told me *why* he took him. I know he was at least whipped while he was in the man's house, but is that all that happened to him?"

"Does it matter to you?"

Skinner opened and closed his mouth. He composed his thoughts and started again. "I just get the feeling that there's more." He observed the cold glint in Fox's eyes as he whispered his answer.

"Let me just say that the sadistic son of a bitch got off too easy. He needed to die slowly and painfully for what he did."

Skinner nodded, sure that somehow, he was better off not knowing the details. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, sir....sir?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Another curt nod, and Skinner was gone.

Fox closed the door and returned to Alex, who'd tuned onto his side, head propped up in his hand.

"Are you as shocked as I am?"

"Yeah."

"Well..." he moved toward the bed, grinning, "where were we?"

"I believe you were just about..."

"Hi, hon."

Alex's head dropped into his pillow, and he groaned softly.

"I got orders to get some samples from you."

Fox stumbled over to the chair and sat heavily into it, while the nurse went about her business. When she finally finished, he ushered her to the door. "He's very tired," Fox explained as he opened the door. "All that excitement...you know...uh....will anyone be bothering him again tonight?"

"Nope. He'll be able to sleep right through to about six-thirty."

"That's great. That's wonderful. Thank you."

He nearly shoved the woman into the hall, and closed the door.

"*Now*..."

Alex squirmed in anticipation as his lover slowly approached. Fox leaned over, releasing a flurry of soft kisses all over his face. The kisses moved lower, trailing down Alex's throat, and across the expanse of his bare chest. He smiled, listening to the sharp intake of breath, as his tongue flicked across one rapidly hardening nipple.

"Shhhh. You want them to kick me out of here?"

Alex gritted his teeth as Fox closed his lips around the nipple, sucking lightly, while still teasing the tip with his tongue. Not wishing to ignore its twin, he brushed his fingers lightly back and forth over it, sending tiny ripples of pleasure through Alex's body.

Alex couldn't control the soft whimpers as they fell from his lips. It was so good, so...sweet...

Not able to think of a better way to silence him, Fox slid his hand up to Alex's mouth, slipping two fingers inside. The younger man closed his lips around the welcome intruders, and began to suck hungrily on them. Satisfied, Fox went back to work, licking and nipping ever so gently at the sensitive peaks.

Fox's tactic had worked for a short while, but as soon as Alex felt his teeth close around his nipple, the sounds started again. But this time they were louder and more desperate. Fox pulled away, and moved up to face Alex. He pulled his fingers out of the younger man's mouth, incurring a loud groan of protest.

"Baby....shhh. You have to be quiet."

"You know...you know how hard that is for me."

Fox stroked his jaw. "I know. But unless you want to have the nurse in here, you have to try, okay?"

Alex nodded impatiently, pushing Fox's head back to where it had been.

Fox teased for a bit longer, then moved on south, lapping and sucking, leaving gentle little marks of ownership along the way. As Alex fought to remain silent, Fox pulled the loose pajama bottoms down, and licked a path down the inside of his thigh, then back up, stopping halfway, and inflicting another small wound.

Alex shuddered, clenching his hands in his pillow. His cock throbbed in anticipation of that first touch, that...outrageously beautiful mouth surrounding him in wet heat...taking him to the place that only together, they knew existed.

Fox moved higher, feeling the tremors increase, the closer he got to Alex's cock. His tongue slithered along the fuzzy surface of the sac that hung heavily beneath, then up to the base of his lover's engorged shaft.

Alex twisted and writhed, trying for all he was worth to remain silent, but the feel of his Fox licking up and down the length of his cock was just too much to take. Soft, unintelligible sounds squeezed past his contricted throat, and his fingers tightened in the pillow, as if doing so would give him the strength to keep from screaming.

Fox lapped his way up to the velvety smooth head, and flicked at the drop of fluid at the tip. Before Alex could utter the plea that he knew would be coming, Fox opened his mouth, and swallowed him to the root.

Alex's hips bucked off the bed, and a loud gasp pierced the air.

Oh, thank you, God, thank you...

No...stop....*please*, stop....

Fox felt Alex stiffen suddenly, and he pulled away, stroking his distressed lover's hip.

"Alex...baby, open your eyes."

Alex took a number of steadying breaths, then did as he was asked. Fox had moved higher, so that they were face to face.

"It's me," he said softly. "No one will ever touch you again. No one but me." He kissed Alex tenderly. "It's my mouth." Another kiss. "Watch me. Don't close your eyes. Watch, and see that it's me loving you..."

Fox descended again, gently taking Alex's cock back into his mouth. Alex looked down at the golden brown head moving so slowly over him.

Fox.

It was his Fox...his lisa doing this to him. The pleasure, the unbearable pleasure...it was good...it was wonderful, and so, so right.

Fox listened to the blissful moans, and knew that Alex understood. He increased the pressure, sucking harder, and now bobbing his head up and down on the long shaft.

Alex folded his pillow over his face, biting into it to keep from crying out. He was ready. Oh God, was he ready.

Fox increased the pace, moving from quick to frenetic, driving Alex to the brink in a matter of seconds. The younger man screamed into the pillow as he came, emptying a seemingly endless river of fluid down his lover's throat.

Not until Alex had stopped thrashing, did Fox let him go. His body went slack, and his eyes dropped shut, showing no signs of life, other than the heavy rise and fall of his chest. Fox kissed and licked his spent cock, now satisfied that his lover had been reclaimed. He moved up and onto the bed, stretching out alongside Alex, resting his head against his chest, and wrapping one arm around his waist. They lay quietly together for a time, until Fox thought Alex was asleep. He kissed the damp chest, then carefully attempted to move off of the bed. As he he did so, Alex's arms wound around him, and held him in place.

"Don't," the soft, hoarse voice pleaded.

"Baby, this bed isn't big enough for the two of us to sleep in all night."

Alex held him tighter. "Yes it is." He shifted around, turning Fox onto his back, then draped himself over the older man's chest. "Please stay here."

"I'll only be three feet away..."

Alex shook his head, giving Fox a most irresistable pout. "Too far."

"You know, whether you're ready or not, they're gonna kick us the hell out of here tomorrow."

Alex snuggled against Fox's warmth. "Fine with me. I can't wait to get out of here."

Fox pressed a kiss into his hair. "You okay?"

"Yeah...now."

"It's over, Alex. It's all over..."

"He said you wouldn't come looking for me."

"....What?"

"He didn't think you'd risk your career for me."

"Well, he was fucking idiot, wasn't he?"

Alex nodded. "I told him that if that's what he thought, he was crazy. I knew you'd find me, and I told him when you did, he'd be in a world of shit. He laughed it off."

"Yeah, well he's not laughing any more...I'd never have stopped, Alex. I'd have found you or died looking."

"I know...what was your first lead?"

Fox smiled into Alex's hair. "Mitchell."

"Mitchell?"

"Yeah. We gotta buy him a bike or a Playstation or something."

"What did he know?"

"He saw some men carrying a carpet out of our yard. He didn't see that they had you in it, he just thought that we were having a carpet removed or something. He couldn't remember the name on the side of the van, but he told me it was dark green. So, Scully, the Gunmen and I split up and checked every carpet store in town. The guys found the right place, and I went over there and uh...convinced the owner that he needed to give me all the information he had. He said that some guy walked in a couple of days before, threw down a wad of cash, and asked to rent the van for a few hours. Fortunately, he had surveillance video of the guy and I recognized him right away. I thought I'd seen him when Scully and I were in New York, but I hadn't been sure up until that point. One of the employees at the carpet place had heard someone call the asshole Mr. Saint James, the day he was there. So we took the tape and the name, did a little deductive reasoning, and started to search."

"Didn't take you too long."

"Didn't take too long? Are you kidding? Every second you were missing was an eternity."

"I know...God knows it felt that way for me too, but you know, in reality, you found me very quickly. You know how long some kidnappings can drag on before the missing person is found...if ever..."

"I know. I couldn't think about that, though. It wasn't an option.....you know....I thought I heard you. The next morning. I'd been up all night, and Scully insisted I lie down until I could go to the neighbors. At one point my eyes did close, but I heard you calling me, and I sat up. It was so clear. Did you call my name?"

Alex kissed Fox's chin, then tucked his head under it. "So many times, I lost count."

Fox heard the fatigue in his lover's tone. He kissed the top of Alex's head, and lightly massaged his temple. "Go to sleep."

"Okay." Alex's arms tightened around Fox. "You too."

Fox nodded and closed his eyes. Moments later, both men were asleep.


End file.
